Elliot Grainge is the son of the CEO of the Universal Music Group, but he did not ride his father into glory. He had dozens of rejections and wasted money on his early projects, but now he is the CEO of Atlantic Music Group and one of the most influential people in the music industry on the planet.
He is the husband of Sofia Richie, a music artist who is well-known by fans and a veteran of the music industry, a key brain behind the 10K Projects label that brought such artists as Ice Spice and Trippie Redd. And now, he is only 30, and he has been given the keys to one of the greatest record labels in history.
This blog takes apart the story of Elliot Grainge, how he used failure to propel himself forward, why the music industry is betting on his vision, and what makes him an unusual combination of an entrepreneur, a trendspotter, and a modern CEO.
Who Is Elliot Grainge?
Elliot Grainge is a British-American music executive and entrepreneur who, in 2025, is most well-known as the chief executive officer of Atlantic Music Group, which is one of the most powerful record label groups under Warner Music. He is also the founder of 10K Projects, a record label he started in 2016 after his frequent rejections when venturing into signing up new artists. He did not give up and founded his label, which has since signed viral phenomena such as Trippie Redd, 6ix9ine, Ice Spice, and Internet Money.
Being a son of Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, Elliot decided to make his way by bringing up a music legacy. He then graduated from Northeastern University in 2016 and went to Los Angeles to follow his dream. He had established a label within a couple of years that was already amassing billions of streams and dozens of platinum-selling records and winning industry respect with a blend of digital acumen, artist-first contracts, and stellar A&R sense.
When Warner Music bought a majority share in 10K Projects in 2024, Grainge was hired to run Atlantic. He is now redefining the future of the label that mixes the flexibility of indie with the power of a major label, making himself one of the most versatile music executives of his generation.
What Motivated Elliot Grainge to Start His Label?
Problem: Rejected Again and Again
Immediately after graduating from Northeastern in 2016, Elliot attempted to sell undiscovered SoundCloud artists to the major labels. Industry gatekeepers failed to see the opportunity that he saw.
“I heard ‘no’ so many times that I finally thought: screw it—I’ll do it myself.”
Grainge, who lost 3,500 dollars in the crashed ventures at college, did not give up. He rather chose to risk himself and his group of artists he thought in.
Agitation: Rejection Wasn’t Just Humbling—It Was Fuel
He started 10K Projects by himself. There was no mega budget. There are no sure targets. It was just a feeling that something the mainstream was lacking was present in some young artists, such as Trippie Redd and 6ix9ine.
When the story of Elliot gets closer, on the one hand, he resorts to the opportunities provided by modern tools, such as TikTok, YouTube, and SoundCloud, to prospect for talent: no high-falutin measurements, some excellent ears, and lots of perseverance.
Solution: Build Something So Good They Can’t Ignore It
That gamble paid off. 10K Projects was one of the most successful worldwide growing indie labels. In 2024, it had secured artists who had billions of streams and several platinum albums.
By 2025:
- There were more than 40 platinum and gold-certified records at 10K Projects.
- The label also went international by seeking talent in the UK, Canada, and Latin America.
- Grainge gained recognition as somebody who used data to prove gut instinct using both art and analytics.
How Did He Become CEO of Atlantic Music Group?
In 2023, Warner took a majority interest in 10K Projects, having been won over by its speed and prosperity. A year later, they had made Grainge the CEO of Atlantic Music Group, where he now manages:
- Atlantic Records
- 300 Entertainment
- 10K Projects
Being only 30, he currently runs his record label that introduced such legends as:
- Aretha Franklin
- Ray Charles
- Led Zeppelin
- Bruno Mars
- Ed Sheeran
What makes him different?
Grainge uses the old school relationship building and new one-school tools such as:
- Analysis of TikTok Trends
- Streaming analytics
- Sentiment analysis of social media
What Does Elliot Grainge Believe About Success?
Highlights of the 2025 Commencement Speech
In 2025, at his graduation from Northeastern University, Grainge made a strong statement:
Success is not a big jump; it is about small victories, a thousand failures, some diversions, and, at some point, a door opens.
The major lessons in his speech:
- Rejection is crucial
- You do not have to be polite to commence
- Support yourself where no one is going to help
What Artists Has He Helped Launch?
Grainge has developed the careers of:
- Trippie Redd
- 6ix9ine
- Ice Spice
- Internet Money
- Surfaces
- Aitch
He is well-recognized as:
- Identify trends before they become trends.
- Signing artists at a young age, in some cases following one viral video
- Allowing artists to have free rein and clear contracts
Why Is Elliot Grainge Respected in the Industry?
Elliot Grainge is respected despite being the son of a music titan.
Here’s why:
Authentic vision: Does not pursue the popular–is instinctive
Transparent deals: Musicians have confidence in his system of business
Tech-forward mindset: First use of TikTok, Discord, and creation features
Global scope: Reaching out to continents
What About His Personal Life?
In April 2023, Elliot married Sofia Richie, the daughter of Lionel Richie. In May 2024, they had their daughter Eloise.
The couple was in the news in June 2025 after rumors that they were cheating went online. They responded to the rumors with a light-hearted TikTok video that mocked the gossip. Grainge reads some crazy fan comments, and Sofia laughs in his arms.
In the caption, she joked, saying she needed to tell her husband that he was not the people’s princess.
The fans enjoyed the humor and boldness of the couple, which means that their relationship is still tight.
What’s Next for Elliot Grainge in 2025?
By mid-2025, Grainge is:
- International Expansion of 10K Projects
- Searching places in Africa and South Asia to find fresh talent
- Investment in AI music tools, which the artists own
- Starting artist programs and artist camps worldwide
His goal? To transform how labels discover, sign, and support artists in the age of AI.
Key Takeaways: Why Elliot Grainger’s Story Matters
The success of Grainge indicates that:
- Failure is a stepping place.
- You do not require other people to say yes to proceed.
- It is profitable to bet on yourself once you can mix intuition and action.
What Makes Elliot Grainge Stand Out?
- Received a degree at Northeastern in 2016
- Turned down over and over again by the record execs
- Started 10K Projects off the ground
- Multi-patented platinum artists
- In 2024, he was appointed CEO of Atlantic Music Group.
- 2025 Northeastern commencement speech
- The company offers transparent artist-first deals.
- Data & instinct in music 21 in A&R
- The husband of Sofia Richie, a daughter named Eloise, was born in 2024
How Is Elliot Grainge Cultivating Talent Today?
Major Signings Across Regions
His current lineup consists of homegrown artists such as Artemas (33M monthly Spotify listeners) and Forrest Frank (5.9M), and he demonstrates that he has an outside ear and can make calculated signings.
Genre Diversity Through Joint Ventures
Alongside pop, rock, and hip-hop labels, 10K Projects has distributed labels in international markets, including Psychic Fever in Japan, evidence of a layered genre expansion strategy.
Purpose-Driven Leadership
In 2019, Grainge created 10K Together, a philanthropic initiative based around racial equity and Black-owned companies. These actions are connected to the overall vision of becoming a responsibly minded label leader.
Conclusion
The story of Elliot Grainge is not simply a tale of someone who managed to make it in the music industry, as it is a lesson in staying afloat, persistence, and holding on to what you believe in. Whether it was the constant rejection or building up 10K Projects and becoming CEO of Atlantic Music Group, he has shown that you can achieve actual results by being an entrepreneur and backing yourself even in such a volatile industry as music.
The thing is that Grainge stands out in 2025 not only with his top-notch list of artists or the position of executive he holds. It is his openness to change, explore, and be a genuine and great leader.
He breaks the traditional approaches to artist development and combines them with new-fangled technologies such as TikTok, data analysis, and such. When the music industry is being redefined through streaming, AI, and creator-first tools, Elliot Grainge is both keeping up with the times and setting the tone of the future.
FAQs
Who is Elliot Grainge?
He is a British-American music executive, the chief executive officer of Atlantic Music Group, and the founder of 10K Projects. He is also the husband of Sofia Richie.
What artists did Elliot Grainge sign?
Trippie Redd, Ice Spice, 6ix9ine, Internet Money, and Aitch, etc.
Is Elliot Grainge related to Lucian Grainge?
Yes. His father is Lucian Grainge, a CEO of Universal Music Group.
What’s the latest on Elliot Grainge in 2025?
He also gave the commencement talk at Northeastern 2025 and is scaling 10K Projects all around the world at Warner Music.
