Artemis Records and Columbia Music Entertainment have entered into a licensing agreement to distribute Artemis music content in Japan. Artemis Records is a privately held, New York-based independent record label launched in July 1999 by Artemis chairman/CEO Danny Goldberg and C&P Capital partner and co-chairman Michael Chambers. Within its first 18 months the label scored a triple-platinum, Grammy-winning album with Who Let The Dogs Out by the Baha Men, as well as two gold albums each from metal band Kittie and rapper Kurupt.
In 2001, Artemis helped Jimmie Vaughan garner a Grammy win for Best Traditional Blues album, and scored additional nominations for Steve Earle and Rickie Lee Jones. In 2002, the label notched another gold album for Thug Misses from rapper Khia, and received Grammy nominations for Susan Tedeschi, Steve Earle and the North Mississippi Allstars, bringing the roster's total to seven in three years. Artemis Records is currently home to Steve Earle, Susan Tedeschi, Jesse Malin and actor Russell Crowe's TOFOG, as well as veteran artists Pretenders, Boston, Peter Wolf and Warren Zevon.
Established in 1910, CME is a leading music and entertainment company trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. With a catalog of over 140,000 titles, CME is one of the largest independent music labels in the worldwide music industry. CME is well known in the Japanese market with a strong presence in Enka music and a rapidly growing presence in both Japanese pop and rock. CME also owns the U.S. based label Savoy Jazz, home to Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. Strauss Zelnick became chairman of the Company in 2001. The licensing agreement with Artemis strengthens CME's Columbia International label. The International label specializes in bringing non- Japanese music to the Japanese market.
