Deola Art Alade, co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of creative solutions company Livespot360, has been named to the Recording Academy’s 2025 new member class, granting her a formal voice in the Grammy awards voting process and positioning her among a global community of music industry leaders.
The Recording Academy, best known as the organizer of the Grammy awards, annually invites a select group of creators, producers, executives, and other professionals into its membership ranks.
The inclusion of Art Alade shows the Academy’s commitment to diversity of experience and geography, as it broadens representation within the decision-making process that shapes one of the music industry’s most influential honors.
Art Alade co-founded Livespot360 in Lagos, Nigeria, with her husband, media entrepreneur Darey Art Alade. The company has grown into a leading experiential and creative agency, producing large-scale entertainment and cultural events across Africa, including Livespot X Festival and ‘The Real Deal Experience.’
Under her leadership, Livespot360 has worked with multinational corporations, entertainment brands, and government stakeholders, positioning itself at the intersection of technology, marketing, and live experiences.
Building on her experience as a creative, design expert, producer, and entertainment executive, Deola has consistently crafted top-tier platforms for global brands, including Amazon, Netflix, Meta, Heineken, Multichoice, Disney, NBC Universal, Gates Foundation, Global Citizens, Pepsi, Prime Video, NBA, Adidas, and Microsoft. Her ability to merge creativity with strategic insight has established her as a trusted partner for international and African businesses.
Her appointment comes as Nigeria continues to consolidate its presence on the global music stage. In recent years, Nigerian artists, including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, and Davido, have gained Grammy nominations and wins, propelling Afrobeats and other local genres to international prominence.
The Recording Academy has faced calls for reform in recent years, particularly around transparency, representation, and equitable recognition of global music genres. By expanding its membership to include executives like Art Alade, the Academy signals its responsiveness to these demands.
She joins a growing list of Nigerian professionals who were inducted into the 2025 class, including music critic Oyebanji Akins, also known as O’Fresh, who became the first African critic and influencer to gain membership; music executive George Beke, founder of Geobek Standard; gospel singer and philanthropist Nikki Laoye; and business strategist Kolawole Fashola, Head of Business Affairs & Operations at Temple Group. Together, their inclusion reflects the widening recognition of Nigeria’s creative ecosystem at the highest levels of the global music industry.
Born on December 15, 1970, Art-Alade hails from a town called Ilupeju in Ekiti State. She is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University and also an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
Deola has launched successful businesses across Nigeria, from her renowned Abuja-based interior design company, design Studeo to the multiple award-winning record label Soul Muzik, the technical equipment rental company Rent-A-Rig, and Primeview Properties, a real estate company, among others.
She is a member of the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria.
She won her first Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) in the Best Costume Design category in 2023 for her work on The Real Housewives of Lagos.
She got married to Dare Art Alade on November 30, 2017. Their wedding attracted widespread public attention because of their eight-year age difference. The couple recently celebrated their 18th year wedding anniversary.
The couple is blessed with two children, Oluwafemi and Tintin Art Alade.
Recently speaking about her marriage to Darey and reflecting on the dynamics of working alongside a spouse, she noted that while it can be challenging, it can also be highly rewarding when managed with discipline and respect.
She stressed the need to separate professional and personal roles, complement each other’s strengths, and prioritise the relationship above work.
Art-Alade added that working with a spouse does not automatically ruin marriages, but the absence of boundaries, respect, and clarity often leads to problems.
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