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Tom
Sarig

Founder and President of Esther Creative Group

New York, New York

Having served as an executive in the music industry for more than 10 years, Tom Sarig struck out on his own in 2003 to establish his own company. Drawing on his experiences at major record labels, Mr. Sarig launched Esther Creative Group, a company devoted to entertainment consulting and talent management.

As President of Esther Creative Group, Tom Sarig has worked directly with clients such as Lou Reed and Bryan Ferry. He manages creative output for every artist signed with his company, offering his expertise in areas as diverse as licensing and publishing, touring, and merchandising.

In 2001, Tom Sarig helped co-found another musical venture: the Shortlist Organization, which sponsored the Shortlist Music Prize. A panel of notable musical figures chose albums of creative merit as winners of this annual award.

In addition, Tom Sarig co-founded and serves as a Chief Executive Officer of Crowdbands. Conceived as a means of connecting fans and artists, Crowdbands provides both with a collaborative online crowd-sourced environment. This environment allows music fans to play an active role in discovering new artists. Under the guidance of Tom Sarig and others, Crowdbands provides a means for fans to act as executives of a record label via a democratic voting system.

Earlier in his career in the music industry, Tom Sarig, who also serves as President of SarigSongs, worked with A&M Records, Arista Records, TVT Records, and MCA Records. He first worked as an international tax consultant after earning his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

For more information about Crowdbands, visit www.crowdbands.com.


Tom Sarig's Schools

Tom Sarig's Publications

  • The Shortlist Music Prize, Tom Saring
    December, 2011
    Tom Sarig and Greg Spotts co-founded the Shortlist Music Prize in 2001, a high-profile annual award that recognizes the most original and contemporary album of the year that has sold less than 500,000 copies. The British Mercury Prize served as the founders’ inspiration. For six years, the Shortlist Music Prize honored each year’s most daring and creative artist. The award recipients were chosen by a panel of legendary musicians. Shortlist Music Prize judges, nicknamed “Listmakers,” have included Tom Waits, Beck, Iggy Pop, Tori Amos, Trent Reznor, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and many others.

    The first Shortlist Music Award cash prize went to the ethereal post-rock group Sigur Rós. Virgin Megastores sponsored the award, then known as the Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music, in its first year. In 2002, N.E.R.D’s “In Search Of. . .” was selected over Shortlist nominee albums by such artists as Björk, The Flaming Lips, and Aphex Twin. In 2003, a gold trophy called “The Shorty” accompanied winner Damien Rice’s cash reward for the album “O,” and the trophy became a fixture of the prize from that time forward. Winning artists in following years included, in chronological order, TV on the Radio, Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power, and Feist.

    About Tom Sarig: A widely respected music executive, Tom Sarig currently serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President at Esther Creative Group in New York City. Also serving as CEO and co-founder of the Crowdbands record label, Tom Sarig previously held artists and repertoire positions with such companies as Universal Music and TVT Records.