Traditional Talent Firm ‘Artists First’ Acquires Minority Stake In Select Management Group

Artists First, a talent management company that reps stars like Tiffany Haddish and Jordan Peele, has acquired a minority stake in Select Management Group — one of the most prominent talent management companies in the digital realm.

The companies said that the deal also comprises a larger strategic partnership in that Select — which counts clients like Gigi Gorgeous, Tyler Oakley, Amanda Steele, and Mindy McKnight — will harness Artist First’s expertise as it pushes further into the film and television business, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At the same time, twenty-year-old Artists First — which was formerly known as Pricipato-Young Entertainment before a re-branding in 2018 — will seek to glean Select’s proficiencies in the digital sphere.

“[Artists First’s] expertise and experience will help supercharge the growth of our business as we continue to bridge the gap between traditional and digital entertainment,” Select partners Lisa Filipelli, Scott Fisher, Amy Neben, and Adam Wescott told the Reporter in a joint statement. (Neben, a longtime manager, was elevated to partner last April

, while Filipelli came onboard in Aug. 2018, when her own management company, Flip, merged with Select).

“Artists First is excited to align with the smart, creative, and energetic team at Select, whose skills and relationships have put it at the cutting edge of digital talent management,” added Artists First CEO Peter Principato. “This partnership will offer our clients a new avenue to develop their voices in the digital realm as well as a pipeline to a growing pool of emerging online stars.”

In addition to its talent management services, Select also operates an affiliate dubbed Third Act Holdings that produces original content and launches consumer products.

Artists First — which also reps Will Arnett, Awkwafina, and Kate McKinnon —  is a content producer, too. It is behind the ABC series Black-ish as well as the feature film Like A Boss, starring Haddish and Rose Byrne.