Meet Our Team

  • EVP of Music / A&R

    Joey Arbagey serves as EVP of 19 Entertainment/19 Recordings. Throughout his career, Arbagey has remained passionate about helping artists put their best foot forward by providing them with the optimal support needed to obtain the highest level of success.

    From 2000 to 2007, Arbagey served as VP of A&R for Arista Records and subsequently at Island Def Jam Music Group, reporting directly to Antonio "LA"​ Reid and Shawn "Jay Z" Carter. In those roles, he collaborated with many of the music industry’s most prolific producers, writers, and artists, including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and many others.  

    In 2014 he joined Epic Records, and during his tenure as Executive Vice President of A&R oversaw the creative record-making process for several of Epic’s artists, including Camila Cabello, John K, AJ Mitchel, Zara Larsson, Eddie Benjamin, Rence, Kah-Lo, and Captain Cuts.  

    Prior to moving into the pop space of music, Arbagey was the Head of A&R and the right hand to Antonio “LA” Reid, where he captained the entire department and artist roster, which included Future, Travis Scott, DJ Khaled, Meghan Trainor, and dozens of others.  

    He was responsible for the massive hit “Work From Home” by 5th Harmony along with all the mega group’s other music successes. From there he went on to be Camila Cabello’s A&R, where he was a part of enormous hits with “Havana,” “Never Be The Same,” "Senorita," and “Bam Bam," to name a few.  

    Arbagey’s connection within the music world spans its entirety, and his influence has helped shape the face and flavor of the R&B, dance, neo-soul, hip-hop, and pop music realms. 

  • Senior Team Coordinator

    Nancy Yearing comes to 19 Recordings with a residency that spans nearly two decades in the rapidly changing worlds of music and television. She served as a Talent & Production Manager under both Simon Fuller and Jason Morey at 19 Entertainment while working on various live music projects. Yearing additionally spent several seasons as a Senior Casting Producer with Fremantle and American Idol Productions where she specialized in managing, producing and casting talent on their hit competition style shows. Most recently she was with Live Nation as the Production Coordinator for Madonna's  worldwide Celebration Tour, covering over 35 cities globally and facilitating logistics for a crew of 120 people throughout Europe and North America.

  • Director of Artist Relations


    Audrey Pine Wright is a seasoned music and entertainment executive whose career spans radio, publicity, promotion, A&R, marketing, touring, talent development, and artist relations.

    She began her career in radio, working with on-air personalities and promotions teams before moving into publicity at Levine/Schneider Public Relations. She went on to hold A&R and promotion roles with several major labels, where she helped create high-priority radio, school, and mall tours that played a role in breaking major acts, including the Backstreet Boys.

    Her success led her to launch her own music promotion company, where she helped craft campaigns for artists and labels including Atlantic Records, Brandy, and Jewel. In recent years, Audrey has focused on talent scouting, development, and management, working directly with Atlantic, Republic, Sony, SYCO, RCA, Hollywood Records, and other major labels. Her developing roster has included Maryjo Young, Ava Maybee, and Kyra Fields.

    Since 2021, Audrey has served as a Senior Casting Producer for American Idol, helping bring top emerging talent to the legendary series. She now serves as Director of Artist Relations for 19 Entertainment, the label behind American Idol.

  • A&R / Publishing A&R / Nashville Office Label Manager / A&R Nashville Based


    Laurel Kittleson-Cobb is the owner of Rainier Entertainment, a Nashville-based music consulting company specializing in A&R, publishing, management, and artist development. She consults on publishing and A&R for Nashville-based artists signed to 19 Recordings, serves as independent A&R for Caroline Jones, co-manages recording artist Eric Paslay, helps run his monthly Song in a Hat series, and consults as A&R for 10th Street Entertainment. Her previous A&R consulting clients include Jonas Group Entertainment (Red Van Records), RECORDS Nashville, and Drew Baldridge. With experience spanning major labels, publishing, management, and independent consulting, Kittleson-Cobb brings a uniquely comprehensive perspective to artist development and career strategy. Kittleson-Cobb is also the co-owner of Dream 3 Publishing, a joint venture with Kobalt Music Publishing, representing a roster of talented songwriters including Jon Stark, Dawson Edwards, Trent Fisher, and Maggie Reeves. Previously, she served as Vice President of Artist Development & A&R at Curb Records, where she signed rising artists Hannah Ellis and Kelsey Hart. Prior to Curb, she held A&R and artist development roles at Big Machine Label Group, where she signed multi-award-winning country artist Brett Young, as well as at Show Dog–Universal Music and Elevation Music Publishing. Throughout her career, Kittleson-Cobb has worked with artists including Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Toby Keith, Steven Tyler, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Midland, Ronnie Dunn, Carly Pearce, Lee Brice, Rodney Atkins, and Dylan Scott. A Seattle native and graduate of Belmont University, Kittleson-Cobb is a MusiCares Ambassador, a member of the Recording Academy, and a voting member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). She is also an alumna of SOLID and GRAMMY NEXT.

  • Director of A&R Operations/Admin


    Jenson is a seasoned music executive with over 20 years of transformative experience in the entertainment industry. His expertise spans A&R operations, administration, creative, music production, and artist discovery, making him a multifaceted leader in the field. Having held pivotal roles at prestigious organizations like Arista Records, Universal Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, and Roc Nation. Throughout his journey, Jenson has had the privilege of contributing to the creative development of remarkable roster of artists, including legends such as Usher, Outkast, Pink, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Ne-Yo, Jhené Aiko, Fall Out Boy, Alesso, AfroJack, Ludacris, Kanye West, and Jay-Z. Each collaboration has not only enhanced his professional narrative but has also deepened his insight into the artistry, passion, and commitment that define the music industry.

  • Head of Marketing

    Madelynn Elyse is a music marketing strategist with a passion for helping artists define their vision and grow their audience. She develops full-scale marketing campaigns that blend creative identity with strategic execution, specializing in social media, digital advertising, content strategy, and release marketing. Throughout her career, she has worked with artists including Dolly Parton, Macy Gray, Morris Day, Shawn James, Easton Corbin, and FRENSHIP.

    From developing release strategies to leading creative campaigns, Madelynn takes a hands-on approach to every project, ensuring each artist’s vision remains at the center of the marketing. She believes the most impactful campaigns are built on authenticity, using storytelling, culture, and data-driven insights to create lasting connections between artists and their fans.

  • Marketing Coordinator/Project Manager

    Nick Sarpa is a music marketer specializing in artist development, digital strategy, and release marketing. With experience across record labels, venues, and marketing agencies, he has helped to drive campaigns responsible for more than 150 million streams across digital platforms. Nick works closely with artist teams to turn great music into compelling campaigns, blending culture, creativity, and data to build audiences that last. His approach is rooted in long-term artist growth, not just chasing the next viral moment.