In agreement with Leonard Cohen’s estate, Hipgnosis Song Management has acquired the late “Hallelujah” songwriter’s complete catalog.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cohen – the prolific Canadian-born poet, novelist, songwriter and performer – died in 2016 at the age of 82.
According to Variety, Hipgnosis has acquired rights to all 278 songs and derivatives written by Cohen, including “Hallelujah,” which has been covered more than 300 times. The block buy includes 127 songs from Cohen’s “Stranger Music” catalog, which covers all works from the inception of his career through 2000, and transfers Cohen’s royalty shares to Hipgnosis.
The company also acquired the ownership of 100% of the copyrights, publisher’s share and songwriter’s share of royalties in the “Old Ideas” catalog, comprised of 67 songs plus derivative works written by Cohen from 2001 until his death, Variety reported.
“To now be the custodians and managers of Leonard Cohen’s incomparable songs is a wonderful yet very serious responsibility that we approach with excitement and fully understand the importance of,” Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis said in a prepared statement.
“Leonard wrote words and songs that have changed our lives, none more so obvious than ‘Hallelujah’ but there are so many more that we look forward to reminding the world of on a daily basis. He is revered all over the globe because of the magnitude of his work,” Mercuriadis added.
Hipgnosis – which previously reached agreements with artists such as Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, producer Bob Rock and others – brokered the deal in partnership with Cohen’s family and the late singer’s manager Robert Kory, Rolling Stone reported.
“Merck Mercuriadis is unique in the music publishing world with his background as an artist manager,” Kory said in a prepared statement.
“We know he cares about artists, and as a Québécois he has a particularly deep appreciation of Leonard’s unique status in popular music. The catalogue is in good hands. The Hipgnosis team has been a pleasure to work with throughout the transaction,” he added.
The acquisition was completed on behalf of Hipgnosis Songs Capital ICAV, a partnership between Hipgnosis Song Management and Blackstone LLP, Variety reported.
Born in Montreal in 1934, Cohen’s voluminous body of work spanned more than five decades, beginning with his 1967 debut album, “Songs of Leonard Cohen,” and concluding with the 2019 posthumous release of his 15th and final studio album, “Thanks for the Dance,” the entertainment news outlet reported.
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