Celebrity Name: Janelle Monáe
New Company: United Talent Agency (UTA)
Primary Agents: Jay Gassner, Blair Kohan, Julien Thuan, Caroline Yim, Sam Kirby Yoh
Previous Company: WME (International), THE·TEAM (North America)
Territory: Global
- Janelle Monáe has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation across all areas, including touring, filmed entertainment, brand partnerships, and media.
- Monáe was previously booked by Wasserman (now THE·TEAM) in North America and WME internationally. Point agents at UTA are Jay Gassner, Blair Kohan, Julien Thuan, Caroline Yim, and Sam Kirby Yoh.
- The signing arrives as Monáe is set to appear in Is God Is (Amazon MGM Studios, May 15) and Netflix’s adult animated series Bass X Machina (October 6).
- Monáe retains management with Wondaland Arts Society and PR with ID Public Relations.
Ten-time Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, author, and actor Janelle Monáe has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for global representation in all areas. The move ends Monáe’s prior relationships with Wasserman (now THE•TEAM) in North America and WME internationally.
Point agents Jay Gassner, Blair Kohan, Julien Thuan, Caroline Yim, and Sam Kirby Yoh will lead the partnership at UTA, which has been actively building its star roster in 2026. The agency recently signed actress Moses Ingram and The Umbrella Academy star Tom Hopper in similar all-areas deals this year.
The signing comes at a busy moment for Monáe, who is set to appear in Amazon MGM Studios’ Is God Is (in theaters May 15) and Netflix’s adult animated series Bass X Machina (premiering October 6).
On the live side, Monáe is booked for Freely Fest in Nashville and North to Shore Festival in Newark, N.J., on June 17.
Monáe’s most recent album, The Age of Pleasure (2023), earned Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B Album at the 2024 ceremony. In 2025, Monáe appeared on the festival circuit at events like Montreux Jazz Festival Miami, Wonderfront, Bumbershoot, and All Things Go.
Monáe founded Wondaland Records in partnership with Epic Records and also heads Wondaland Arts Society and Wondaland Pictures, which holds a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. PR stays with ID Public Relations, with management remaining under the Wondaland Arts Society team.
Takeaways
This deal is bigger than a routine agency hop, it signals that Janelle Monáe is ready to operate on a truly unified global platform.
By bringing film, TV, touring, brand partnerships, and media all under one roof at UTA, Monáe and Wondaland can pursue the kind of cross-platform, multi-hyphenate deals that are increasingly driving superstar income in 2026.
The timing is especially sharp: with two major projects dropping before year’s end and a packed festival schedule, this agency firepower arrives exactly when it’s needed most.
UTA’s moves in 2026, pairing Monáe with agents who already represent top-tier film talent point to an aggressive strategy to corner the multi-hyphenate creator market.
With Monáe’s film and music careers both peaking simultaneously, will UTA prioritize one lane over the other, or is that the whole point of consolidating? Monáe built her brand on independence and creative control via Wondaland, does signing with one of Hollywood’s biggest agencies change that dynamic?
