Shore Fire Media Inc.
11/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/11/2026 10:38
Diplo & Andrew Bergman Launch Bison Music To Invest In The Next Generation Of Songwriters
Independent Publisher Debuts With A Global Roster Whose Credits Span BTS, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & JENNIE
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NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES (November 11, 2026) - Today, GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and producer Diplo and former Downtown Music CEOAndrew Bergman launch Bison Music , an independent music publisher built to find songwriters early, develop them throughout their careers, and give them a real stake in what they create. Bergman will serve as CEO, alongside COO Tom Lee, CCO Juba Lee and General Manager Jenny Ilibassi.
Diplo initially formed the company to bring together genre-defying songwriters and producers behind some of music's most distinctive new voices, including the previously signed Picard Bros., Leclair, MAESIC, Nitti, Kaien Cruz, BomboCat, Akira Evans, and Groupthink.
Diplo and Bergman have now joined forces to transform Bison into a company dedicated to making fresh, original music written by real people to connect with a global audience. While much of the publishing business today is investing in the acquisition of existing intellectual property, Bison is focused on nurturing writers, creating new songs and growing its talented roster, with a focus on development and partnership.
"For me, there's still nothing more exciting in music than discovering a great song from someone you've never heard of," said Bergman. "That's always been at the core of what makes music publishing a great business. And it's what excited me about partnering with Diplo, one of the leading creative forces in the modern music business, and tmwrk, his management team and longtime business partners. We're designed to identify and sign writers early, nurture them through the harsh realities of the music business and allow them to reap the benefits of their creative endeavors. Writers and the music publishers that serve them are at their best when they are in a collaborative mode and we intend to operate that way internally and externally."
"At a moment when it feels like music needs an injection of originality, our writers are in a position to shape where music goes next," said Diplo. "Andrew and I are creating a home for those writers, with a team that knows how to develop them and a company built to back them for the long term."
Bison is based in New York and Los Angeles. Further signings will be announced in the coming months.
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L-R: Tom Lee, Andrew Bergman, Diplo, Jenny Ilibassi & Juba Lee (Photo Credit: Anthony Mongiello) |
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Juba Lee has thrived as a seasoned A&R executive, most recently as SVP of A&R at Columbia Records. He has closely collaborated with Diplo for over 16 years and counting, including running Mad Decent Publishing. |
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Photo Credits: Anthony Mongiello The Bison Music roster includes: |
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Picard Bros. Paris-based GRAMMY® Award-winning duo Picard Bros. (Maxime and Clément) are among Diplo's most trusted collaborators. Their production can be heard on "Electricity" from Silk City and Dua Lipa, which garnered a 2019 GRAMMY® for "Best Dance Recording." Plus, they worked with Dua Lipa on "Dance The Night" from 2023's Barbie The Album. Beyond regularly working with Diplo and Mark Ronson, the pair's production credits also include Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Burna Boy, and Madonna. |
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Leclair Montana-born and Los Angeles-based producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Leclair has powered a string of K-pop hits, co-writing and co-producing BTS's #1 single "Swim" and co-producing JENNIE's hit "like JENNIE." Speaking to the diversity of his output, he has crafted tracks for Diplo, Anyma, and Anitta. |
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MAESIC London-born and France-raised producer and DJ MAESIC is responsible for the #1 Afro-house record "Life Is Simple (Move Your Body)" and "Push It" (with Disco Lines). Plus, he teamed up with Diplo on the Platinum smash "Heart Broken" and Major Lazer and Jung Kook for "Closer to You." He has simultaneously solidified himself as a live phenomenon, shining at sold-out venues worldwide and on the stages of festivals à la Tomorrowland and Ushuaïa Ibiza. |
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Nitti Miami-based producer, DJ, and vocalist Nitti (Richard Cook Mears) notably earned a GRAMMY® nomination as part of Sidepiece for "On My Mind" with Diplo. He took home a Latin GRAMMY® for "200 MPH" with Bad Bunny and Diplo. Not to mention, he co-wrote and produced three tracks from BTS's blockbuster #1 album Arirang. His other collaborations range from music for Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull to Tiësto and DJ Snake, among others. |
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Kaien Cruz Los Angeles-based South African singer-songwriter and artist Kaien Cruz serves up an uncanny hybrid of pop, R&B, and Afro-fusion. Her debut single "Love Me In The Dark" scored a South African Music Award nomination, paving the way for an opening slot on Justin Bieber's Purpose Tour. She remains a frequent collaborator of Diplo and Major Lazer. Additionally, she co-wrote "Into the Sun" by BTS. |
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BomboCat Latin GRAMMY®-nominated Costa Rican producer and DJBomboCat seamlessly twists together Latin, Afro, and electronic music into a distinct sound without comparison. He reached multiplatinum status behind-the-scenes by contributing to acclaimed and impactful projects by Major Lazer, Ty Dolla $ign, Beéle, and Tokischa. |
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Akira Evans Based in Los Angeles, producer and DJ Akira Evans integrates electronic, reggaeton, Afrobeats, Baile funk, and more into a striking signature style. Discovered by Diplo and Mad Decent, his discography is highlighted by the BTS single "Body to Body," a spot on Mad Decent's Japan tour, and a track featured in Rihanna's Fenty x Puma New York Fashion Week show. |
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Groupthink Los Angeles-based artist and producer Groupthink channels twenty-tens indie electro-pop through his own prism. Gaining traction, Pigeons & Planes named him among its "Best New Artists," highlighting his recharged and reupped vision of indie sleaze. |
About Bison Music
Bison Music is an independent music publisher that invests in songwriters early in their careers and develops them over the long term. Founded in 2026 by CEO Andrew Bergman and Diplo, Bison pairs hands-on A&R with the funding, global administration and data that writers need to build lasting careers. Its roster works across pop, K-pop, Latin, Afro-house, electronic and R&B. Bison is based in New York and Los Angeles. Learn more at https://bisonpub.com/ .
About Diplo
Throughout his 20-year career, Diplo has collaborated with prominent global artists, including Madonna, Usher, Bad Bunny, M.I.A., Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Ellie Goulding, Trippie Redd, J Balvin and Anitta, among numerous others. He has established multiple record labels and publishing companies, and is the creator of the celebrated Major Lazer, LSD (with Sia and Labrinth), Jack Ü (with Skrillex) and Silk City (with Mark Ronson), while maintaining a significant global presence under his own name. He has been nominated for thirteen Grammy Awards and won three, including Best Dance Recording for "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber as Jack Ü, which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 45 weeks on the chart. As Major Lazer, he co-wrote and produced "Lean On," which became Spotify's most-streamed song of all time within eight months of its release. He continues to produce and write records for today's biggest stars including BTS, JENNIE and BLACKPINK.
About Andrew Bergman
Andrew Bergman brings more than 25 years of music industry experience driving growth, innovation and transformation across multiple sectors of the business. Throughout his career he has worked with some of the most iconic artists and songwriters, including Missy Elliott, Ludacris, Mötley Crüe, The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams), Phish, Cold War Kids, Santigold, David Gray, Mos Def and Ryan Tedder. As former CEO and Chairman of Downtown Music Holdings, the world's largest provider of publishing and recorded music services to independent artists and businesses, he led Downtown's evolution from an artist and writer development business into music IP ownership, and then into a global music services powerhouse. He architected landmark transactions, including the sale of Downtown's IP holdings to Concord (2021) and Downtown's $775M sale to Virgin Music Group (2026). Bergman is a trusted industry strategist and advisor, known for balancing creator advocacy with commercial performance.
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