IS ELLIE GOULDING
A FREE AGENT?

Ellie Goulding is currently looking for new management, according to rumors on both sides of the Atlantic. The British star has been signed to Sarah Stennett’s Turn First, now First Access Entertainment, since she left university some 10 years ago. We hear she’s currently deciding between a Brit and a Yank. Whose names are in the ring?

Goulding was discovered by manager Jamie Lillywhite and then signed to Polydor in the U.K and Cherrytree/Interscope in the U.S. Her debut album, Lights, hit #1 in the U.K. in 2010 as did follow-up Halcyon in 2012. Latest album, Delirium, reached #3 in Blighty and gave Goulding her highest chart position in the U.S. yet at #3.

Over the course of Goulding’s career, Stennett has ended a development deal with Universal for Turn First and rebranded as FAE after signing a similar agreement with Warner chief Len Blavatnik.

So who could be taking over management duties? We hear that the Brits in the ring are Ed Millett and Ben Mawson of Tap Management, who have steered the careers of Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa. As for the Yank, your guess is as good as ours, but we’ll chuck Mark Gillespie’s name in the ring as a potential contender; he's British-born but L.A.-based. Gillespie looks after Frank Ocean and Calvin Harris, and his Three Six Zero group is currently undergoing some "restructuring."