EMPIRE Expands to Nordic Region

EMPIRE, the San Francisco-based independent record label, publisher, and distributor, has announced its expansion to the Nordic region of Europe. Iman Hazheer will be Territory Manager of the new venture, overseeing artist relations, market development, and regional partnerships in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

Iman Hazheer:

• Hazheer worked at Spotify for seven years, where he was Senior Editor for the Nordics.

• He was previously in the Entertainment division at Nike in Amsterdam.

• He was also a music and culture journalist at Sweden’s publicly funded national broadcaster, Sveriges Radio.

EMPIRE going global:

• EMPIRE has a presence in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.

• In April, the company inked a multi-year partnership with Baramey Production out of Cambodia.

• Back in October, EMPIRE named Jeffrey Yoo as Senior Vice President, East Asia.

• EMPIRE Africa was launched in 2022.

What they said:

• Hazheer: “The Nordic region has long been a global force in music, but the path to international recognition is becoming increasingly narrow, especially for independent and emerging artists. We’re here to challenge the status quo, champion artists on their own terms, and give the Nordic talent pool the platform they deserve, globally.”

• Ghazi Shami, EMPIRE’s Founder and CEO: “The further expansion across Europe into the Nordic region further cements EMPIRE as champions of bringing music and culture to a global audience. Iman’s knowledge of the music business makes him the best fit to spearhead these efforts, and we are happy to welcome him to the team.”