Leading global talent, entertainment, sports, and advisory company UTA has signed a Grammy-winning artist, tech entrepreneur, and philanthropist will.i.am for worldwide representation in all areas.
As a multi-platinum global music artist, will.i.am has also emerged over the past decade as an influential tech entrepreneur and Futurist. A founding equity stakeholder in Beats by Dre™, will.i.am was instrumental in helping transform the headphones venture into a global consumer electronics brand. The company was purchased by Apple in 2014 for $3 billion.
With two concurrent and fluid careers in entertainment and tech, will.i.am is the founder and CEO of FYI.AI, a Web 3.0 productivity platform designed to help creatives organize, create and share content. In January 2024 he launched “THE FYI SHOW” on SiriusXM, featuring the world’s first AI persona radio co-host, FYIona that engages with will.i.am and live conversations about music, pop culture and current affairs. The audience can also chat directly with FYIona after each show airs via the FYI app.
will.i.am teams with a wide range of global technology and consumer companies to help them embrace future technologies, participate in what’s next in cultural trends and develop new business initiatives. In January 2024 will.i.am and Mercedes AMG unveiled MBUX Sound Drive at the Consumer Electronics Show. The technology translates the car’s actions into an intelligent sound mixer, allowing the vehicle to collaborate in real-time with music to create a unique soundtrack to each drive that, as will.i.am explains, is “conducted by the road.” After debuting this new music industry category and automotive audio platform to rave reviews, MBUX Sound Drive will launch this summer in Mercedes-Benz’s electric EQ models. Other brand collaborations include Apple, Atom Bank, The Coca-Cola Company, Deutsche Telekom, Formula 1, Honeywell, Intel, Marvel Comics, Microsoft, Penguin Publishing, Pepsi and Salesforce.
In television, he continues in his role as an original coach (13 seasons) on “The Voice” UK 6 concurrently starred in “The Voice” Australia for one season. He’s also starred in judging and guest mentor roles on unscripted reality competition series including “The Masked Singer”/FOX, “Alter Ego”/FOX, “American Idol”/ABC, and “Songland”/NBC. He has executive-produced youth and technology-focused prime time TV specials and documentary films including “Planet of the Apps”/Apple TV, “The Age of AI”/YouTube Learning, and “i.am.mars: Reach for the Stars”/Discovery Science Channel. As an early adopter of internet video, will.i.am motivated an entire generation to get out the vote with his music video, “Yes We Can”.
He is the author of two books, the graphic novel “Masters of the Sun – The Zombie Chronicles”/Marvel and the Young Adult novel “Wizards and Robots”/Penguin Publishing, co-written with Brian David Johnson.
will.i.am’s commitment to innovation and technology is rooted in his work as a philanthropist, encouraging inner-city, disadvantaged youth to apply themselves in STEAM fields so they can prepare for an AI, autonomous, robotic and highly technical tomorrow. His i.am Angel Foundation supports STEAM education programs for more than 13,000 disadvantaged youth in grades K-12 in Los Angeles, including the i.am College Track after-school tutoring center and college scholarship program, the Boyle Heights STEM Magnet High School, and hundreds of after-school robotics clubs in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and FIRST robotics.
He is a TIME 100 Impact Award winner, the recipient of the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET, UK) and a World Economic Forum Crystal Award winner. Additionally, will.i.am’s creative and entertainment work has garnered seven GRAMMY Awards, a Latin GRAMMY Award, an Emmy Award, and a CLIO Award. He is also among an elite group of musicians that have performed at two Super Bowl Halftime Shows (2011/Dallas, 2024/Las Vegas).
will.i.am continues to be represented by the law firm of Herz Lichtenstein & Young LLP and business management firm Nigro Karlin Segal Feldstein & Bolno. The Black Eyed Peas are represented by CAA.
About UTA
UTA unites ideas, opportunities and talent. The company represents some of the world’s most iconic, barrier-breaking artists, creators and changemakers—from actors, athletes, authors and musicians to writers, gamers and digital influencers. One of the most influential companies in global entertainment, UTA’s business spans talent representation, content production, as well as strategic advisory and marketing work with some of the world’s biggest brands. Affiliated companies include Digital Brand Architects, KLUTCH Sports Group, Curtis Brown Group and MediaLink. UTA is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, New York and London.
