2023 Women of Live: Janet Kim

Music Agent | UTA

Since joining UTA in February 2022, Janet Kim  has taken the lead in developing the agency’s team focused on booking Pride festivals. It’s an initiative she takes, well, great pride in.

“Helping form the LGBTQIA+ Pride festival booking team at UTA has been an important initiative for me as it’s been impactful for our clients and buyers. This group understands the landscape and importance of festivals and music events that provide platforms for LGBTQIA+ artists and allies,” she says. “The team is global and includes touring agents that oversee various territories. Together, we work on booking Pride events across the globe. It’s important that we continue to show up, fight for equality and inclusion, and fight against hate and discrimination. Everyone is invited.”

Kim’s 2022 highlight speaks to the power and pervasiveness music from Asian artists has on the global market. No one needs to be convinced of K-pop’s bankability at this point, but something happened at Pasadena’s Head in the Clouds festival, organized by 88Rising, that showed that a successful K-pop artist can set their own path beyond the constraints of the genre. 

Kim represents eaJ, who left the successful group Day6 to step out on his own.

“By the time of the festival, eaJ had only released his debut single, but his K-pop fans followed him into the indie R&B/pop genre. He performed in front of a packed audience on the main stage and seeing him so energized was a special moment. eaJ had to make difficult choices to do what he felt was necessary as an artist, and in that moment, he was happy with the result and doing what he loves most – performing for his fans,” Kim says.

She also said that festival – “produced by an American promoter, had a lineup of Asian artists, and drew a fanbase of Americans of all races and ethnicities” – was meaningful because she saw that diverse audience “celebrate music made by Asian and Asian American artists.”

“Backstage was crowded with Asian Americans from across the music and entertainment industry, and it was a special experience to not feel like a minority in the space,” she says.