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WELCOME TO THE

INDEX 3 SCHEDULE 4

GMS LEADERSHIP LETTER

GMS EDUCATION COMMITTEE LETTER

ANNUAL PARTNERS

CONFERENCE SPONSORS

ABOUT THE GUILD

9 A LOOK BACK AT PAST YEARS

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

KEYNOTE WITH FINNEAS O’CONNELL

14-15

PANELS FROM 12:00PM-1:00PM

16-17

PANELS FROM 2:00PM-3:00PM

20-21

PANELS FROM 3:00PM-4:00PM

24-25

PANELS FROM 4:15PM-5:15PM

28-29

PANELS FROM 5:30PM-6:30PM

THE SOCAL LIVE MUSIC AND RADIO PROGRAMMING

THE UNFAMOUS PODCAST

DJ SETS

34-35

PANEL SCHEDULE BY ROOM

CAMPUS MAP

AUDITORIUM 9:00AM

GC 160

Breakfast 9:00-10:00AM

LEGEND

Doors Open DJ Set by Francesca Harding 9:30AM

10:00AM

STAGE AND NETWORKING WALKWAY

Key Events

Opening Remarks Introduction to New Leadership w/ Q&A

Career Advancement Networking

10:00-11:00AM

Emmy

11:00AM Keynote Conversation with

Music Business

Finneas O’Connell

11:00-12:00PM (pg 11)

12:00PM

Scoring Up - 2026 Emmy-Nominated Composers 12:00-1:00PM (pg 14)

FOG Breakout Room: How To Talk to Supervisors and Get Your Music Heard 12:00-1:00PM (pg 15)

1:00PM

The SoCal 88.5 Sound Live Music and Radio Programming 12:00PM-3:00PM

2:00PM Future-Proofing Your Music Supervision Career 2:00-3:00PM (pg 16)

Sound Off: Clearance Blockers and How to Fix Them

Lunch

1:00-3:45PM

2:00-3:00PM (pg 17)

Behind the Credit: To The Craft 3:00PM Commitment A Conversation with 2026 Getting the Job, Closing the Emmy Nominated Songwriters 3:00-4:00PM (pg 20)

4:00PM Music Forward! 2026 Emmy Nominees for Outstanding Music Supervision

5:00PM

4:15-5:15PM (pg 24)

Unfamous Live Podcast: Off Campus interview with Amanda Krieg-Thomas and Anna Romanoff

3:00-4:00PM (pg 21)

3:30-4:30PM

The Entry Point to Music Supervision 4:15-5:15PM (pg 25)

Unfamous Live Podcast: Julia Michels and Alana da Fonseca 4:45-5:45PM

“Heard” Listening Session

6:00PM

Deal — A Live Mock Negotiation

5:30-6:30PM (pg 28)

The Anatomy of an Award-Winning Edit 5:30-6:30PM (pg 29)

Happy Hour provided by

7:00PM

SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW TO TAKE YOU TO OUR MOST UP TO DATE SCHEDULE ON THE SCHED. APP

6:15-8:00PM

DJ Set: Matthew McDermott 6:15-7:00PM

DJ Set: Nassir Nassirzadeh 7:15-8:00PM

8:00PM 9:00PM

10:00PM

GET MORE DETAILED PANEL INFO, BIO FOR PANELISTS AND PLAN YOUR DAY!

Dear Members and Friends, Welcome to the 12th Annual State of Music in Media Conference. Every year, this conference reminds us why the Guild exists—not just to celebrate our profession, but to support one another, share knowledge, and strengthen the community that makes this work possible. We’re grateful you’re here and honored to spend the day learning, connecting, and growing together. This year’s theme, Connect. Cultivate. Strengthen the Ecosystem., reflects the collaborative spirit of music supervision. Our work depends on the relationships between supervisors, composers, songwriters, artists, publishers, labels, studios, attorneys, executives, and so many others. When we invest in one another and strengthen those connections, our entire industry benefits. As our industry continues to evolve, so too must our community. We hope today’s conversations, mentorship opportunities, and new connections leave you inspired, informed, and reminded that you’re part of a community invested in your success. Thank you for being part of the Guild of Music Supervisors and for helping shape the future of our profession. We also extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsors and partners, whose support makes this conference and the Guild’s year-round programming possible. Best, GMS Leadership Jonathan Leahy, Melissa Chapman, Allison Wood, Danny Exum

Welcome to the 12th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors State of Music in Media Conference Every year, our committee spends time reflecting on past conferences. We consider the impact of the event, its reach, the current state of the industry, and the needs of our community. Through these conversations, three core themes emerged: Connect, Cultivate, and Strengthen the Ecosystem. Building on these themes, we’ve thoughtfully crafted a focused lineup of panels designed to spark impactful conversations within our entire sync community. Now, more than ever, it is vital to strengthen our connections and deepen our understanding of how we collaborate. Our programming explores the craft, the business and community of sync, from live listening sessions, to panels like “Behind the Credit: Getting the Job, Closing the Deal,” “Future-Proofing Your Music Supervision Career,” and our Friend of The Guild breakout room. Our program is designed to meet you wherever you are in your career. This year, we’re thrilled to have Multi-Academy® winning multi-hyphenate, Finneas O’Connell joining us for our keynote conversation. We’ll also once again be celebrating our peers through three Emmy nominated themed panels, and engaging our wider community via our virtual conference. A goal for the programming and conference experience is to provide content that genuinely connects with our community. Thank you to our sponsors for supporting our organization, to our staff and volunteers who pour so much into making this event happen, and to our panelists and special guests for generously sharing their expertise. Let’s enjoy, connect, and grow! Sincerely, GMS Education Committee Chairs Allison Wood, Emoni Escobar, Mandisa Henry And The 2026 GMS Education Committee

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL PARTNERS

THANK YOU TO OUR CONFERENCE PARTNERS

ABOUT THE GUILD

The Guild of Music Supervisors is a 501(c) non-profit organization with the mission to promote the craft of music supervision for the mutual benefit of all media stakeholders in film, television, documentaries, advertising, trailers, video games and emerging media. The Guild is a professional and educational resource for Music Supervisors and those working in related fields across the entertainment and media industry.

guildofmusicsupervisors.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MELISSA CHAPMAN

CHRIS MOLLERE

VICE PRESIDENT

DANNY EXUM

SECRETARY

HEATHER GUIBERT

JOEL C. HIGH

JONATHAN LEAHY

HOWARD PAAR

AMINÉ RAMER

JENNIFER SMITH

LINDSAY WOLFINGTON

ALLISON WOOD

PRESIDENT

TREASURER

A LOOK BACK AT PAST YEARS Now in its 12th year, the Annual Guild of Music Supervisors “State of Music in Media” Education Conference continues to be the leading educational event of music in media. Let’s take a look back at recent years and celebrate how far we’ve come! We hope you’ll take your own photos this year while making some new memories. Be sure to use the #GMSCon2026 hashtag and tag us on social media!

NOT ALREADY INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY?

We warmly invite and encourage you to join us and become an active part of the GMS family. Though only qualified music supervisors and coordinators are able to join as full GMS Members, our community is inextricably interwoven with those working in the surrounding fields of publishing, labels, music creation, and other roles related to music and media. This latter group makes up our Friends of the Guild, an integral part of our community. The absolute best thing that we can offer as a guild is community support and a path toward relationships, and the absolute best way to experience these offerings is by jumping in and becoming involved. Join one of our many committees, attend and/or volunteer at our events, and get involved with one of our many initiatives. We are absolutely dependent upon the dedication and involvement of our Members and FOG in order to make positive change. Scan the QR code for more info!

INSIDE THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND ITS POWERFUL CONNECTION TO STORY: A Conversation with Finneas O’Connell AUDITORIUM — 11:00am-12:00pm

Finneas O’Connell

Multi-Academy® and GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer

MODERATOR Diallo Riddle

NAACP Image Award-winning director, and EMMY-nominated writer, showrunner, and actor

SCORING UP 2026 EMMY-NOMINATED COMPOSERS AUDITORIUM — 12:00pm-1:00pm

MODE RATOR

RONIT KIRCHMAN

Composer & Co-President Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC)

DAVE PORTER

AMANDA JONES

Pluribus Apple TV

Murderbot Apple TV

JEFF BEAL

All Her Fault Peacock

SPONSORED BY

MICHELLE JOHNSON The Boys Prime Video

TOKO NAGATA Widow’s Bay Apple TV

YVETTE METOYER The Boys Prime Video

THE ENTRY POINT TO MUSIC SUPERVISION GC 160 — 4:15pm-5:15pm

MODE RATOR

KRISTINA BENSON

Founder Sweet On Top licensing agency and publishing company

CHERYL WANG

ALLYSON ARANEZ

Music Supervisor Redfive

Music Supervisor Aspect

DYLAN KANE-RITSCH Music Coordinator Neophonic

LANA BUI

Founder Happy Goose Productions

You've been listening to us all day. Every record, every set, every drink. Here's where to find us.

Founding Partner of the Guild

AP M M U S I C WAY F I N DE R P R O G R AM

11:30 am – 8:30 pm VINYL LOUNGE Bring your voucher, walk away with free vinyl from the APM Music catalog. PHOTO BOOTH Get a few snaps in while you’re at it. 11:30 am - 3 pm Check out the 88.5 SoCal Sound DJ sets, chock-full of APM gem tracks. 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm OPEN BAR First hour's on us. Come hang and chop it up with your peeps.

APM Music is proud to support the 12th Annual GMS ‘STATE of MUSIC in MEDIA' CONFERENCE

“HEARD” LISTENING SESSION AUDITORIUM — 5:30pm-6:30pm

M O DE RA T O R

MODE RATOR

Music Supervisor and Professor Berklee College of Music

Music Supervisor and CEO Blaze Unlimited

DR. LAMARCUS MILLER

JASON GRANT

PHILIPPE “P” PIERRE

Music Licensing Executive and Founder audiovybez.com

President Create The Odds

JUSTIN FELDMAN

Head Music Supervisor Hit The Ground Running

EMONI ESCOBAR

YVETTE METOYER

Music Supervisor and Emmy Nominee The Boys

THE ANATOMY OF AN AWARD-WINNING TRAILER EDIT GC 160 — 5:30pm-6:30pm

MODE RATOR STEVI DAFT

Senior Director, Creative Synch Position Music

GREGORY SWEENEY Director of Music Motive Creative

NAAMAN SNELL

SCENERY SAMUNDRA

Founder / Head of Music Space Cowboy Music, Inc.

Music Supervisor Motive Creative

JORDAN SILVERBERG

Head of Music Wild Card Creative Group

MICHELE MANNING DUANE Creative Director / Senior Editor Motive Creative

The SoCal Sound 88.5 FM & Bilingual Sounds 88.5 HD2 presents the Radio Day Stage from 11:30am - 2:30pm hosting a round of live interviews with Music Supervisors. Jump into the minds of music supervisors, find out how they discover music, what artists and songs have stuck with them beyond their TV or Film projects and hear a cool story or two.

BYRON THE CURATOR

JOELINA GARCIA

ON-AIR DJ ARTIST ON THE SOCAL SOUND 88.5 FM ON-AIR DJ PROGRAM DIRECTOR + ON BILINGUAL SOUNDS 88.5 HD2 ON-AIR DJ MUSIC SUPERVISOR AT BILINGUAL SOUNDS 88.5 HD2

SCHEDULE 12:00PM - 12:30PM LAST REQUESTS WITH JOELINA DJ SET 12:30PM - 1:30PM GUEST MUSIC SUPERVISOR INTERVIEWS

TICKET GIVEAWAYS 1 PAIR - 2 TICKETS FOR EACH SHOW

DAVID BYRNE - HOLLYWOOD BOWL ON AUGUST 28

1:30PM - 2:00PM BYRON THE CURATOR DJ SET

SODA STEREO - KIA FORUM ON SEPTEMBER 12 PREMIUM SEATS

2:00PM - 2:45PM GUEST MUSIC SUPERVISOR INTERVIEWS

ECCA VANDAL’S SOLD OUT SHOW AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM ON SEPTEMBER 29

2:45PM - 3:00PM ENDING REMARKS HOUSEKEEPING ANNOUNCEMENTS

BEABADOOBEE - KIA FORUM ON OCTOBER 21 WEIRD AL TANKOVIC - UHF LIVE-TO-SCREEN W/ ORCHESTRA + Q+A - GREEK THEATRE ON OCTOBER 31 BONOBO - THE WILTERN ON NOVEMBER 11

3:30-4:30PM

FEATURING AN INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA KRIEG THOMAS AND ANNA ROMANOFF ABOUT ‘OFF CAMPUS’ AND THEIR COLLABORATION.

AMANDA KRIEG THOMAS

ANNA ROMANOFF

4:45-5:45PM

FEATURING AN INTERVIEW WITH JULIA MICHELS AND ALANA DA FONSECA DISCUSSING THE MANY PROJECTS THEY HAVE COLLABORATED ON OVER THE YEARS.

JULIA MICHELS

ALANA DA FONSECA

JUSTIN TRANTER

Featuring Special Guest Music Supervisors

Most of what you love in pop culture did not happen the way you think it did. Unfamous, hosted by Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Justin Tranter, pulls back the curtain on how creative work actually gets made. Created and produced by Tranter and Morgan T. Stuart, each episode pairs a celebrity with the collaborator who helped shape their biggest moments in music, comedy, film, television, fashion and entertainment. These are candid conversations about collaboration, songwriting, performance, ambition, rejection, ego and the real decisions behind cultural breakthroughs. It’s entertaining, honest and funny, but it is also practical. You get real insight and a blueprint for navigating creative industries from people who have built lasting careers. If you care about music, comedy, acting, filmmaking or building a creative career, this show is for you. Past guests include Katy Perry, Kid Cudi, MUNA, King Princes, INK, Debbie Gibson, Caleb Hearon + Caitie Delaney, Amy Allen + Gabz Landman, Trixie Mattel + Fena Barbitall, Melanie Martinez + CJ Baran, Troye Sivan + Leland and Linda Perry + Don Hardy and many more.

DJs SPINNING TODAY 9:30AM-12:00PM - FRANCESCA HARDING AUDITORIUM

Francesca is a music supervisor, radio host and DJ based in Southern California. Her credits include Disney +’s High School Musical, The Musical The Series S3, the feature film, If I Go Will They Miss Me and Netflix’s forthcoming animated television series, Bass X Machina. You can hear Francesca on air every Tuesday night at 8pm (PT) on 89.9fm KCRW.

6:15PM-7:00PM - MATTHEW MCDERMOTT ON THE STAGE

Matt McDermott is a DJ, record collector and musician living in Los Angeles. After moving to LA in the early 2010s, McDermott worked in the electronic section at Amoeba Music, threw raves in DTLA and DJed everywhere from Bahia to Berlin. He went on to serve as North American editor of Resident Advisor, the world’s leading electronic music magazine. Today, McDermott works closely with Jessica Pratt, playing in her live band and contributing to her records, while also booking Philadelphia’s Making Time festival and working in A&R at the legendary 4AD label. He’ll be playing a set that touches on the classic 4AD sound and plenty more besides.

7:15PM-8:00PM - NASSIR NASSIRZADEH ON THE STAGE

Nassir Nassirzadeh is currently a KCRW DJ and lead Senior Producer of the station’s signature daily music show and Morning Becomes Eclectic. Nassir joined Netflix, working as a creative music executive, helping to define the music direction of over 20 animated films and eventually leaving as a Director in 2023. Nassir continues to work on freelance supervision projects and is just wrapping up on Solvan “Slick” Naim’s new indie film Girl Dad (2026), which won an award at its premiere at the American Black Film Festival earlier this year. Nassir also co-supervised Catherine Hardwicke’s Street Smart (2026), and Drake Doremus’ Next Life (2026), starring Emilia Clarke and Edgar Ramirez, which just premiered at Tribeca.

12 ANNUAL GMS CONFERENCE 2026 TH

To discuss a partnership opportunity uniquely suited to your company, please contact the GMS Sponsorship Committee: sponsorship@guildofmusicsupervisors.com

Thank you for your consideration. gmsmediaconference.com

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AUDITORIUM 9:30AM 10:00AM - 11:00AM 11:00AM - 12:00PM

DOORS OPEN OPENING REMARKS & INTRODUCTION TO NEW LEADERSHIP W/ Q&A KEYNOTE: INSIDE THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND IT’S POWERFUL CONNECTION TO STORY: A CONVERSATION WITH FINNEAS O’CONNELL MODERATED BY DIALLO RIDDLE (SEE PAGE 11)

12:00PM - 1:00PM

SCORING UP - 2026 EMMY-NOMINATED COMPOSERS FEATURING DAVE PORTER, AMANDA JONES, MICHAEL ABELS, JEFF BEAL, KRIS BOWERS, MICHAEL DEAN PARSONS, AND MODERATED BY RONIT KIRCHMAN (SEE PAGE 14)

2:00PM - 3:00PM

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR MUSIC SUPERVISION CAREER FEATURING ANDREW KAHN, RON UBALDO, SCOTT VELASQUEZ, AND MODERATED BY ALLISON WOOD (SEE PAGE 16)

3:00PM - 4:00PM

COMMITMENT TO THE CRAFT - A CONVERSATION WITH 2026 EMMY NOMINATED SONGWRITERS FEATURING ANDREW BIRD, ANDREW WATT, CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA, DAVEED DIGGS, DAVID STAL, CIRKUT (HENRY RUSSELL WALTER), WARREN “OAK” FELDER, GAVIN BRIVIK, AND MODERATED BY ANGELA SHEIK (SEE PAGE 20)

4:15PM - 5:15PM

MUSIC FORWARD! 2026 EMMY NOMINEES FOR OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION FEATURING MANISH RAVAL, MATT BIFFA, MICHELLE JOHNSON, NORA FELDER, TOKO NAGATA, YVETTE METOYER, AND MODERATED BY MIGUEL GANDELMAN (SEE PAGE 24)

5:30PM - 6:30PM

“HEARD” LISTENING SESSION FEATURING JASON GRANT, JUSTIN FELDMAN, PHILIPPE “P” PIERRE, YVETTE METOYER, AND MODERATED BY LAMARCUS MILLER AND EMONI ESCOBAR (SEE PAGE 28)

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GC 160 12:00M - 1:00PM

FOG BREAKOUT ROOM: HOW TO TALK TO SUPERVISORS AND GET YOUR MUSIC HEARD FEATURING DOM JONES, RASHAAD RICHARDSON, ROMERO MOSLEY, RYAN SVENDSEN, TASHA PETERS, TIA P., ROBYN BOOKER, AND MODERATED BY A.D. JOHNSON (SEE PAGE 15)

2:00M - 3:00PM

SOUND OFF: CLEARANCE BLOCKERS AND HOW TO FIX THEM FEATURING DONNA ROSS-JONES, JAYLEN THOMSPON, LINDA OSHER, NYIKO BEGUIN, AND MODERATED BY CAROLYN OWENS (SEE PAGE 17)

3:00PM - 4:00PM

BEHIND THE CREDIT: GETTING THE JOB, CLOSING THE DEAL — A LIVE MOCK NEGOTIATION FEATURING ERIC ROBLES, JEFF JERNIGAN, RACHEL RICHMOND, STEVEN GIZICKI, AND MODERATED BY KRISTINA BENSON (SEE PAGE 21)

4:15PM - 5:15PM

THE ENTRY POINT TO MUSIC SUPERVISION FEATURING CHERYL WANG, DYLAN KANE-RITSCH, ALLYSON ARANEZ, LANA BUI, AND MODERATED BY KRISTINA BENSON (SEE PAGE 25)

5:30PM - 6:30PM

THE ANATOMY OF AN AWARD-WINNING TRAILER EDIT FEATURING GREGORY SWEENEY, SCENERY SAMUNDRA, JORDAN SILVERBERG, NAAMAN SNELL, MICHELE MANNING DUANE, AND MODERATED BY STEVI DAFT (SEE PAGE 29)

CAMPUS MAP