Universal Music Group has expanded its partnership with Grammy-winning producer Daniel Nigro’s Amusement Records label.
The expansion follows the success of Chappell Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which was released via Island Records.
The expanded partnership with Nigro also builds upon his long-term relationship with Olivia Rodrigo, a Geffen/Interscope artist. (Island and Geffen/Interscope are both UMG labels.)
According to the official announcement, under the new agreement, Amusement will operate as a “central label venture” within UMG, with new artist signings able to partner across UMG’s “global family of labels”.
In making the announcement, Universal Music Group Chairman & CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge said: “Daniel embodies the type of creative brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit that is at the heart of UMG.
“I’m so pleased to embark on this next chapter in our successful relationship, and I can’t wait to hear the culture shaping music and artists Daniel will bring next to our global family.”
“Daniel embodies the type of creative brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit that is at the heart of UMG.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal Music Group
Daniel Nigro added: “After 6 years of working almost exclusively with the various labels/artists under Universal, it made perfect sense to make the relationship more formal.
“I want Amusement Records to be a place where artists can feel comfortable growing and developing at their own pace but with all the real resources needed to thrive and succeed.
“Also, a place where I can have the freedom to help choose the right team each time for the artist. I know in my heart that the people at Universal understand this, and I am beyond excited about what’s to come.”
Nigro founded Amusement Records in 2023, as a home for Chappell Roan, who had parted ways with her former label, to release the music they had created together for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
In a recent interview in MBW’s World’s Greatest Songwriters series, Nigro discussed launching his label in order to release Chappell Roan’s music. He said: “I just felt so strongly about the project and about her that I was like, ‘This needs an outlet’.
“We basically started making songs, just her and I, and when we felt the songs were good and ready, we would just release them ourselves. It was really empowering to A&R a record together.”
The album was released in September 2023. As of March 2025, it had peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart and No.1 on the Billboard Artist 100, with more than 4.3 billion streams worldwide.
“After 6 years of working almost exclusively with the various labels/artists under Universal, it made perfect sense to make the relationship more formal.”
Daniel Nigro
This month, five years after its initial release in April of 2020, Roan’s Pink Pony Club climbed to Top 5 of the US Top 40, Top 10 on the Hot 100 and has spent two weeks at No.1 on the UK Singles Chart.
UMG notes that Chappell Roan’s 2024’s single, Good Luck, Babe! became “one of the most successful singles of the year,” hitting No.1 at US Top 40 Radio selling more than 12 million copies worldwide to date.
Nigro was recently named Producer of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards for his work last year with Roan, Rodrigo and the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Chappell Roan was also awarded Best New Artist at the 67th Grammy Awards.
He has also worked closely with artists such as Caroline Polachek, Sky Ferreira, and Conan Gray.
Nigro has, throughout his career, received 13 Grammy nominations and is a two-time Grammy Award winner. In addition, Nigro was honored as Producer of the Year at Variety’s 2024 Hitmakers Awards, and alongside co-writer Olivia Rodrigo, as the 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Songwriters of the Year.
The pair were also awarded Best Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production at the Society of Composers & Lyricist (SCL) Awards for Can’t Catch Me Now from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
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