Damien Escobar, a two-time Emmy Award-winning violinist and the first-ever global chief music officer of Havas, has been named chairperson of the 2025 AMP Awards for Music & Sound.
A trailblazer who has successfully transitioned from artist to executive, Escobar brings a unique blend of artistry, innovation, and industry expertise to this role. His 2023 single, “Taboo,” dominated the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart, holding the number one spot for two consecutive weeks.
As chairperson of the AMP Awards, Escobar will be tasked with helping assemble the AMP Awards Curatorial Committee, which will review the finalists in each category to ensure they meet the competition’s criteria. He will lead the committee’s deliberations, which includes the naming of one category winner as the Ryan Barkan Best in Show honoree.
Entries for the AMP Awards, sponsored by the Association of Music Producers, are being accepted now, with a submission deadline of March 7. To be eligible for the competition, work must have first aired or been released between February 11, 2024, and February 9, 2025.
From subways to stardom
Fueled by a deep passion for music from an early age, Escobar achieved a remarkable milestone, graduating from Juilliard at just 13 years old. A child prodigy who once performed in the New York City subways would soon find his way onto the world’s largest stages–defying expectations and redefining the modern violinist’s role.
Today Escobar is widely regarded as one of the most influential violinists in modern history. He’s topped Billboard charts, headlined global tours, and sold millions of records, finding success in jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary classical genres. His career disrupts tradition, which includes his expansion into the advertising world.
His talents brought him to the attention of the advertising industry with Escobar first joining Arnold Worldwide, as SVP of music and culture in 2021, before his groundbreaking appointment announced in 2024 to its parent company, Havas, as its first-ever global chief music officer. There he brings his music experience and cultural insights to brands looking to enhance their storytelling with music and sound.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Damien as our chair for the 2025 AMP Awards,” said Matt Nelson, president of the AMP National Board and executive producer at Yessian Music. “His remarkable history of making music, as well as helping brands better leverage the power of music and sound to connect with today’s savvy consumers, is exactly what’s needed as chairperson. As a past AMP curatorial committee member, Damien will bring unparalleled knowledge, insight, and sensitivity to the task of leading our deliberations this year.”
Music as a brand asset
For Escobar, being asked to chair the AMP Awards this year is an honor and something he doesn’t take lightly.
“This is a big acknowledgment by my peers,” Escobar said, “but it’s also about more than just what this means to me personally. Advertising overall severely underutilizes music and sound, as well as the creativity of everyone involved, from composers to producers, sound designers, and music supervisors. As an industry, we need to better leverage music and sound. I feel a responsibility to help change that.”
Escobar added that trends point to music and sonic branding quickly becoming the number one asset for brands, and it’s imperative for agencies to be connected to the musical forces driving the marketing industry.
“Taking part in the AMP Awards competition should be a no-brainer for both brands and agencies,” Escobar noted, “because you’re able to see firsthand the innovation with sound in our industry. You’re also able to identify trends to see where things are heading, and that is valuable in a world where so much is data-driven. Marketing dollars are being pulled away from big TV spending and into social digital marketing, where you have more eyeballs. Music is the number one driver of engagement on those platforms, so every brand should have a clear sound story and strategy. The AMP Awards is ahead of the curve on this, and I see a lot more peers, even non-music ones, identifying the AMP Awards as the place to be every year. “
The AMP Awards features 13 categories covering everything from original music and sound design to best use of licensed music, outstanding adaptations/arrangements, outstanding mix, best artist and brand collaborations, and audio-only executions. Entry is open to work commissioned by a client for release via streaming or linear TV, digital, mobile, experiential, or other media able to deliver the moving image. Winners will be presented at a gala awards presentation, which will include live performances from top artists, scheduled for May 21, 2025, at Sony Hall in New York City.
AMP was established to give voice to the companies that provide brands with the power of music and sound to engage audiences and drive home the effectiveness of their messaging.
