Courtney Stewart

Stewart attended North Atlanta High School and Alabama State University.{{cite news| url= https://newhouse.syr.edu/news/courtney-stewart-on-success-in-the-music-industry-dont-follow-the-dream-set-the-dream/ | title= Courtney Stewart on success in the music industry: "Don't follow the dream. Set the dream." |publisher=Syracuse University | author= Jewél Jackson | date=17 October 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

An early friendship with fellow musician Bobby V led Stewart to become his manager when his musical career took off.{{cite news| url= https://www.pollstar.com/article/voices-of-live-courtney-stewart-on-finding-his-place-in-the-music-biz-this-is-my-calling-146243 | title= Voices Of Live: Courtney Stewart On Finding His Place In The Music Biz – 'This Is My Calling' |publisher=Pollstar | author= Sarah Pittman | date=13 August 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Later he ran Ludacris’ publishing company and managed hip-hop producers.{{cite news| url= https://www.pollstar.com/article/we-just-dream-big-and-go-after-it-how-khalid-manager-courtney-stewart-built-a-streaming-age-juggernaut-137756 | title= 'We Just Dream Big And Go After It': How Khalid & Manager Courtney Stewart Built A Streaming-Age Juggernaut |publisher=Pollstar | author=Eric Renner Brown | date=15 April 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

Stewart discovered Khalid{{cite news| url= https://www.npr.org/transcripts/744224851 | title= Khalid Is The Shooting Star Of The Playlist Era |publisher=NPR | date=23 July 2019 | accessdate=15 February 2022}} in 2015-16 when the artist was still a teenager, and went on to mentor and manage him beginning in 2016.{{cite news| url= https://hitsdailydouble.com/the_bside&id=303778&title+Khalid-(Right-Hand-Music-Group) | title= Khalid (Right Hand Music Group) |publisher=Hits Daily Double | date=13 November 2016 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Following Khalid's breakout success, Stewart was included in Billboard's "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players" in 2017.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/pro/40-under-40-music-industry-power-players-2017-full-list/ | title= 40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players Revealed |publisher=Billboard | date=6 October 2017 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

In 2018, with Tunji Balogun (the future CEO of Def Jam Recordings){{cite news| url= https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/tunji-balogun-to-become-the-new-ceo-of-def-jam/lz11hty | title= Tunji Balogun to become the new CEO of Def Jam |publisher=Pulse Nigeria | author=Motolani Alake | date=10 August 2021 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} and two others, Stewart co-founded Keep Cool Records,{{cite news| url= https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tunji-balogun-launches-label-jv-with-rca-records-promoted-to-evp-ar/| title= RCA Announces Joint Venture With Keep Cool And CoFounder Tunji Balogun |publisher=Music Business Worldwide | author=Rhian Jones | date=9 April 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} a joint venture with RCA Records.{{cite news| url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/ogdenpayne/2018/04/09/rca-announces-joint-venture-with-keep-cool-and-co-founder-tunji-balogun/| title= RCA Announces Joint Venture With Keep Cool And CoFounder Tunji Balogun |work=Forbes | author=Ogden Payne | date=9 April 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Keep Cool's first signing was Normani of Fifth Harmony.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/normani-signs-keep-cool-rca-records-exclusive-8299356/| title= Records: Exclusive |publisher=Billboard | author=Gail Mitchell | date=9 April 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Its roster also includes Lucky Daye, VanJess, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, UMI, and Marzz.

In October 2018 Billboard included Stewart in its "21 Under 21" list.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/managers-billie-eilish-khalid-bhad-bhabie-interview-8479393/| title= 21 Under 21: How Managers for Billie Eilish, Khalid and Bhad Bhabie Keep Their Clients on the Right Path |publisher=Billboard | author=Rob LeDonne | date=12 October 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Variety named him a Hitmaker in both 2018{{cite news| url= https://variety.com/2018/music/news/varietys-2018-hitmakers-list-1203043604/ | title= Variety's 2018 Hitmakers Revealed |publisher=Variety | date=29 November 2018 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} and 2019.{{cite news| url= https://variety.com/gallery/hitmakers-megan-thee-stallion-swae-lee/jody-gerson-photographed-by-michael-buckner-on-nov-13-2019-in-los-angeles-ca-2/ | title= The Hitmakers and Hitbreakers Who Defined the Sound of 2019 |publisher=Variety | date=5 December 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Stewart and Khalid delivered the keynote Q&A at the 2019 Pollstar Live! conference.{{cite news| url= https://www.pollstar.com/article/khalid-manager-courtney-stewart-discuss-musicians-meteoric-rise-in-pollstar-live-keynote-137330 | title= Khalid, Manager Courtney Stewart Discuss Musician's Meteoric Rise In Pollstar Live! Keynote |publisher=Pollstar | author=Eric Renner Brown | date=15 February 2019 | accessdate=15 February 2022}}

Stewart was a founding member and serves on the executive committee of the Black Music Action Coalition, a nonprofit formed in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music industry.{{cite news| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/black-music-action-coalition-record-industry-1018726/ | title= Meet the Music Industry's New Black Music Action Coalition |publisher=Rolling Stone | author=Samantha Hissong | date=22 June 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} In 2020 Billboard included him on both its 2020 Power List{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-2020-power-list-8548429/ | title= The 2020 Billboard Power List Revealed |publisher=Billboard | date=23 January 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} and its R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list, recognizing him for activism.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-rb-hip-hop-power-players-list-2020-9481918/amp/ | title= Revealed: Billboard's 2020 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players — In A Year of Activism |publisher=Billboard | date=12 November 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

Also in 2020, his Right Hand Music Group partnered with Techstars Music, an accelerator program for music-related startups. Right Hand became Techstars' first member company owned by a person of color.{{cite news| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/techstars-music-pledge-startup-funding-1092230/ | title= We Gotta Start Somewhere: Techstars Music Will Fund a More Equitable Music Business |publisher=Rolling Stone | author=Bob Moczydlowsky | date=23 November 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

His management clients include Sinéad Harnett,{{cite news| url= https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Sinad-Harnett-EARTHGANG-Release-Take-Me-Away-Video-20201209 | title= Sinéad Harnett & EARTHGANG Release 'Take Me Away' Video |publisher=Broadway World | author= Sarah Jae Leiver | date=9 December 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Wynne, Marzz, and South African R&B artist Elaine{{cite news| url= https://hitsdailydouble.com/the_bside&id=324991&title+Elaine-(Columbia) | title= Elaine (Columbia) |publisher=Hits Daily Double | date=4 February 2021 | accessdate=15 February 2022}} in addition to Khalid.

Stewart began supporting local Atlanta shelters in 2015,{{cite news| url= https://reporternewspapers.net/2019/10/30/nonprofit-right-hand-foundation-aims-to-revitalize-homes-for-families-in-need/ | title= Nonprofit Right Hand Foundation aims to revitalize homes for families in need |publisher=Reporter Newspaper & Atlanta Intown | author = Collin Kelley | date=30 October 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} buying and delivering Christmas gifts to local homeless shelters housed in hotels.{{cite news| url= https://atlantafi.com/right-hand-foundation-atlanta/ | title= Music Industry Vet Gives 'Right Hand' To Atlanta Single Moms |publisher=AtlantaFI | author=CJ Johnson | date=11 October 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} Inspired by this experience, in 2019 he founded the Right Hand Foundation, which provides free housing and educational programs to single mothers and their children in Atlanta.{{cite news| url= https://atlanta.curbed.com/2019/10/3/20896748/right-hand-foundation-atlanta-affordable-housing-college-park | title= Atlanta music manager's nonprofit is linking single mothers with rent-free housing, education programs |publisher=Curbed | author=Sean Richard Keenan | date=3 October 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} The nonprofit launched its first "Right Hand Haven" housing in October 2019.{{cite news| url= https://bossip.com/1803435/a-lil-positivity-right-hand-foundation-celebrates-launch-of-first-haven-for-single-mothers-in-atlanta/ | title= A Lil' Positivity: Right Hand Foundation Celebrates Launch Of First Haven For Single Mothers In Atlanta |publisher=Bossip | date=25 October 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

Stewart also assisted Khalid in setting up the Great Khalid Foundation. He worked with Great Khalid when it donated $500,000 to the El Paso Community Foundation in El Paso, Texas in 2019{{cite news| url= https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2019/09/14/great-khalid-foundation-opens-office-el-paso-donation-education-walmart-shooting-victims-family/2326595001/ | title= Great Khalid Foundation opens office in El Paso with $500,000 donation for education |publisher=El Paso Times | author=Aaron Montes | date=14 September 2019 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} to aid children and grandchildren of victims of the 3 August 2019 mass murder at Walmart.

In 2020 the National Museum of African American Music appointed Stewart to its board of directors' first Music Industry Relations Committee,{{cite news| url= https://www.charlestonchronicle.net/2020/07/15/national-museum-of-african-american-music-announces-the-appointment-of-its-music-industry-relations-committee/ | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200815200912/https://www.charlestonchronicle.net/2020/07/15/national-museum-of-african-american-music-announces-the-appointment-of-its-music-industry-relations-committee/ | url-status= usurped | archive-date= August 15, 2020 | title= National Museum of African American Music Announces the Appointment of Its Music Industry Relations Committee |publisher=Charleston Chronicle | date=15 July 2020 | accessdate=14 February 2022}} and his Right Hand Foundation partnered with St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church-East Point to help support struggling families during the holiday season.{{cite news| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fExxo3FL0o | title= SSMBC Partnership with Courtney Stewart Right Hand Foundation |publisher=YouTube | date=21 December 2020 | accessdate=15 February 2022}}

In 2021 Billboard honored him as a Change Agent for helping the music community survive the COVID-19 pandemic and confront racial inequality.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-change-agents-list-2021-9517071/ | title= Billboard Change Agents: Leaders Stepping Up In A Year of Turmoil |publisher=Billboard | date=28 January 2021 | accessdate=14 February 2022}}

He is also committed to the advancement of HBCUs and was honored in October 2021 with an Alabama State University (ASU) 50 Under 50 alumni award. In October 2022 he announced a $100,000 donation to ASU to create scholarships for communication students and enhance the university's communication department.{{cite news| url= https://www.alasu.edu/music-executive-entrepreneur-and-humanitarian-courtney-stewart-donate-100000-asu-during-homecoming | title= Music Executive, Entrepreneur, and Humanitarian Courtney Stewart to Donate $100,000 to ASU During Homecoming Game |publisher=Alabama State University | date=4 October 2022 | accessdate=6 October 2022}}

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Category:1981 births

Category:Businesspeople from Atlanta

Category:Alabama State University alumni

Category:American company founders

Category:Philanthropists from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:American music industry executives

Category:American music managers

Category:21st-century American businesspeople

Category:Living people