AvA LIVE

The Hunger Games started with a book recommendation from a junior staffer.Coachella dropped its 2027 lineup at 10 p.m.And a GEICO commercial helped Timothy Simons land Veep.On this episode of AvA LIVE:Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, the producers behind The Hunger Games, tell us how Bryan Unkeless put Suzanne Collins’ book on Nina’s desk, what makes them listen when someone junior pitches an idea, and how they work with Collins on Sunrise on the Reaping. Nina also shares how getting fired from Disney the day her son was born led to starting Color Force.Tom Windish, music agent at The·Team, breaks down the 2027 Coachella lineup, what goes into deciding when to announce it, and why this was the right year for Role Model and Tove Lo to play.Timothy Simons joins us to talk Nobody Wants This, how a GEICO commercial got him in front of casting director Allison Jones, and whether he’d host SNL if his monologue was just his first audition tape on repeat.Mike and Darren from ISO talk about launching a management company for digital creators, why livestreaming gives people something to talk about the next day, and how creators like Plaqueboymax are building music careers out of the communities they already have.PLUS:Stella from The Rollout on how an open call for Sunrise on the Reaping turned into fans making their own Hunger Games films.Timothy gives his younger self some advice in Say It Loud with Wispr Flow and shouts out the people behind the scenes in Unsung Heroes.Lights, Camera, Action, Leading Ladies with Kira, and new roles on the AvA Job Board, including a chance to work with us.Try Wispr Flow and get three months of Pro: https://wisprflow.ai/ava

On this episode of AvA LIVE: Cosmopolitan and Seventeen editor-in-chief Willa Bennett joins the show from the set of her YouTube series Blind Date to talk about getting her start at Seventeen and GQ, how she picks a cover star, and the new Hunger Games covers. She also plays a round of Blind Rankings with the week’s best Halloween costumes and shares advice for her younger self in the debut of Say It Loud with Wispr Flow. Outshine Talent founder Barbara Jones explains how she pivoted from influencer marketing to representing TikTok creators, the Tubi x TikTok Creatorverse deal, and why sports creators are a growing part of her business.

NWSL VP of Sporting Sarah Gregorius, a two-time Olympian for New Zealand, breaks down the rapid growth of women’s soccer and takes a live question from Hofstra student Sienna. Minimum Wage stars Luke Burke and Randall Park talk about the Netflix hit’s short-form format, and react to real boss-to-assistant texts in a game of “How Would You Respond?” Two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot closes the show with the story behind his new documentary The Eyes of Ghana, from a chance discovery in Accra to partnering with the Obamas’ Higher Ground and IShowSpeed.

PLUS: Warner debuts a new segment, Lights, Camera, Action; Stella returns with The Rollout, her one-minute movie marketing rundown; and we announce the October Assistants of the Month

Before he represented Adele, Billie Eilish, Rihanna and The Killers, Kirk Sommer started in the William Morris mailroom making $300 a week. 16 years later, I became his assistant.On this episode of AvA LIVE, my former boss, now WME’s Senior Partner & Global Head of Music, joins me to talk about signing The Killers, building lasting artist careers, why the mailroom is so valuable and where he sees opportunity for the next generation in music.Plus:• Chuck Lorre, the creator behind The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Young Sheldon, on breaking into television, what streaming lost, and writing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song.• Tanya Cohen of Made By Us Studios on her new TikTok deal and the evolving relationship between Hollywood and creators.• Doja Cat’s co-manager Gordan Dillard on why new global superstars are harder to build, where artists actually make money, and what to understand before signing a record deal.

On this episode of AvA LIVE: Ari Emanuel, executive chair and CEO of TKO and executive chairman of WME Group, joins the show to talk about his new book Roll the Calls, from his months in the WME mailroom to working as an assistant for Bruce Vinokour and Bill Haber. He weighs in on whether the mailroom is still a viable path, why AI is “the greatest average,” and why he doesn’t have much patience for assistants who think Hollywood is leaving them a worse industry. Stunt performer Devyn Dalton, Matt Damon’s stunt double in The Odyssey, breaks down how she prepped in three weeks, the craziest stunts of her career, and what AI could mean for performers.

Hollywood Hanging co-host Kristen Tepper joins the studio for the news, covering the buzz around Nathan Fielder’s You Can See Everything, the Netflix layoffs and Peter Rice’s arrival, and why creators are now the smartest bet in the industry. Blossom founder and former CAA agent Saul Goldberg kicks off a new segment, Hollywood Horror Stories, with the maddest assistant story you’ll hear: a Maserati, a runaway gate and a very unlucky Volkswagen.

PLUS: Warner recaps AvA LIVE IRL at the Wiltern, with a clip of Jason Blum’s advice to the audience; Kira Joe rounds up the week’s Leading Ladies, including Giggly Squad’s historic Madison Square Garden date; and Stella debuts a new movie marketing segment.

On this episode of AvA LIVE: Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni joins the show to play Career Ladder, ranking which Hollywood paths he’d still recommend to a 22-year-old, from talent agent to animator to trade journalist. He also weighs in on Netflix’s layoffs, federal tax credits, and why the platforms hold the most power in the business. Buchwald VP Sheri Talkovksy takes us inside the theater business and her work with Maleah Joi Moon, from Hell’s Kitchen to Netflix’s A Different World.

Comedian Mary Beth Barone plays a round of Would You Rather: Stand-Up Edition and makes the case for her Grammy campaign for Galaxy Brain in a category where only four women have ever won. Campus Launch founder Jake Motyl explains how he left investment banking to build viral sorority activations, including the Baywatch trailer campaign for Fox. Two UT Austin juniors break down Longhorn Artist Connect, the student-run talent agency now on three campuses.

PLUS: Kira Joe rounds up the week’s Leading Ladies, we head to ACL for an Unsung Heroes interview with BUNT., and Warner announces Jason Blum and Reece Feldman for AvA LIVE IRL at the Wiltern this Sunday, October 18th.

On this episode of AvA LIVE: Scott and Alexis Fisher break down Creator Nation, their joint venture with Live Nation. WME's Head of Community Janelle English talks about breaking into entertainment and what real inclusion in Hollywood looks like. Musician Scott Helman unpacks "Mr. Record Label" and the reality of major-label deals for small artists. Serena Kerrigan (SFK) shares the story behind "Let's F*cking Date," plus a detour into mini dachshunds.

We also go behind the scenes at ACL with the food and beverage team that keeps the festival fed, and Kira Jo rounds up this week's Leading Ladies, including Pamela Abdy, Dana Goldberg and women in vertical media.

PLUS: The news rundown covers the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger closing, the Warner Bros. water tower getting repainted ASAP, and the Belloni beef at Bloomberg Screentime.

YouTube’s Coachella livestream, Spotify’s response to AI music, and the story behind Rolling Loud’s new movie. This week on AvA LIVE, Warner Bailey dives into the business of music, festivals, and live events.On this episode of AvA LIVE:YouTube’s Head of Live Music Ali Rivera breaks down the Coachella partnership through 2030, how livestreaming changed the festival experience, and YouTube’s documentary partnership with BLACKPINK’s Lisa.Country artist Julia Cole and Neon Coast founder Martha Earls discuss the artist-manager relationship, building a fanbase through consistency, and turning social media momentum into a touring career.Spotify’s Global Head of Music Content and Partnerships Joe Hadley responds to our community’s questions about artist pay and AI-generated music, explains Fresh Finds Forward, and shares why Spotify is investing in video.Rolling Loud co-founder Matt Zingler and filmmaker Jeremy Garelick share the real father-son story behind Rolling Loud: The Movie, the chaos of filming at an actual festival, and how Owen Wilson ended up onstage with Travis Scott.Medium Rare co-founders Adam Richman and Joe Silberzweig break down building events with Shaq, Guy Fieri, and John Summit, turning The Roommates Show into a festival, and using sponsorships to reduce the financial risk of live events.Plus: Leading Ladies, this week’s VMAs memes, and updates on Battle of the Mailrooms and AvA LIVE: IRL at The Wiltern.

On this episode of AvA LIVE: Publish Press writer Hannah Doyle breaks down everything that came out of YouTube's Made on YouTube event — from video A/B testing to serialized Shorts — plus SNL's latest creator hires and California's new political ad disclosure law. Josh Richards and his CrossCheck Studios co-founder Chris Sautel talk selling Read the Room to Fox Creator Studios, breaking out of the "influencer" label, and why they'd rather cold-email than wait for permission.

The NFL's Paula Nagon explains how she pivoted from Condé Nast and People into sports comms, and how the league is leaning into fashion, music and "helmets-off storytelling" to reach new fans. Agent Jay Moss recounts discovering ODESZA at a Bellingham club show and fields a career question live from an NYU student in the chat. Not Skinny But Not Fat's Amanda Hirsch looks back on interviewing Erin Foster in her one-bedroom apartment during COVID, taking her show to Hulu with Get Real, and why she's still deciding whether touring is right for her.

PLUS: Sarah Jane Coleman debuts a new segment, No Context News, tackling the Paramount-Warner Bros. settlement and the Suno lawsuit with zero preparation and maximum confidence; Kira Jo rounds up the week's Leading Ladies; and Warner announces Battle of the Mailrooms, a talent-agency showdown coming October 4th.

From working with Kim Kardashian to building MAKEUP BY MARIO, going behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week, and stumping tennis’s biggest stars at the US Open, this week’s AvA LIVE goes inside entertainment, beauty, fashion, and sports with the people making it happen.Plus: breaking down the 2026 Emmys and previewing Global Citizen Festival’s star-studded lineup.ON THIS EPISODE:💄 Mario Dedivanovic, Founder & CEO of MAKEUP BY MARIO, joins us to discuss his journey from Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist to beauty founder.👠 Erin Gillman, VIP assistant, PR professional, and the “Red Flats Queen,” takes us inside New York Fashion Week.🎾 Sharif Cobb, the US Open’s “Riddler,” joins us to talk about stumping some of the biggest names in tennis.🏆 Jacqueline Coley, Awards Editor at Rotten Tomatoes, breaks down what the Emmys got right, what they got wrong, and what’s next for television.🌍 Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO of Global Citizen, previews the 2026 festival, with Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean leading the lineup.🎤 AvA correspondents Kira Joe, SJ, and Brent join us in the studio for “Leading Ladies” and the Emmys categories you missed.

On this episode of AvA LIVE: "All the Cool Girls Get Fired" co-authors Laura Brown and Christina O'Neill open up about getting fired within 14 months of each other, why taking "no" for an answer isn't always a bad thing, and their dream guest for the Cool Girls podcast. Ogilvy's Reid Litman breaks down his Gen Z research and why building your career right now is a lot like building a brand: relationships over algorithms.

The Atlantic's CEO Nicholas Thompson talks getting fired from his first job in under 60 minutes, getting kidnapped in Morocco, and why media might be the most meritocratic profession left. Breakaway Music Festival co-founder Adam Lynn traces the festival's path from a BYOB cornfield show in Athens, Ohio to the largest touring festival in the country. CAA's Tucker Brown explains how the Dude Perfect deal reshaped how private equity thinks about creator businesses, and takes on a round of creator-economy hot takes.