Ged Doherty, Chairman and CEO Sony BMG Music Entertainment, UK & Ireland, announces the formation of the Epic Label.

The new label, which will be operational immediately, will sit alongside the current frontline music companies, RCA and Columbia Label Groups, and will also be based in Sony BMG's Putney offices. Nick Raphael is also announced today as Managing Director, Epic Label, reporting directly to Ged Doherty.

Epic Label represents another significant A&R; strand for the company. It will bring together Raphael's current White Rabbit label artists, including Lemar, Mylo and Imogen Heap, together with new signings such as Scouting for Girls and Go Audio.

It will also incorporate the company's UK Red Ink labels and their artists including City Rockers/ Sunshine Underground, Melodic/ The Harrisons and Full Time Hobby/ The Checks.

"This is an important move for the company" says Doherty. "It gives us another significant destination for artists who want to sign to us by giving them the opportunity to sign to a label with huge history and resonance within the industry.

"I've been very happy with the progress of the Columbia and RCA labels since we brought them back last year, and we need to expand our A&R; capability still further to help us grow the company in line with our overall plans.

"I'm delighted that Nick Raphael will be leading Epic, he is a hugely talented and capable executive with a track record of making successful albums with a wide variety of artists and this is the perfect role for him."

Nick Raphael has worked for both BMG and Sony Music over the last 10 years. In which time he has signed and A&R-ed; a variety of artists including Jay Z, Another Level, Big Brovaz, Charlotte Church, Mylo, Lemar, G4, and Imogen Heap. Most recently he was head of his own imprint White Rabbit.

"This is a great opportunity that has been given to me by Ged and Tim Bowen" says Raphael. "It's an honour to be leading a label that has such a rich history of great artists and music. I love the fact that even recently Epic boasted artists as diverse as Michael Jackson to the Lightning Seeds, Manic Street Preachers to Bewitched, and I hope to build up a roster every bit as diverse and successful."