Hunter Williams: From Family Agency to CAAs Nashville Touring Powerhouse

Hunter Williams has spent the last decade and a half building touring careers for a wide range of artists in Nashville, from electronic acts like GRiZ and Pretty Lights to hip‑hop and country performers such as Jelly Roll and Three 6 Ma Tha. In November 2026 he will mark 14 years as a Creative Artists Agency (CAA) agent.

Williams was born in Macon, Georgia, and grew up in Darien, Connecticut, an hour from New York City. He played cello, baritone horn, drums and piano as a child and sang in his church choir until about age 14. He attended the University of Tennessee for two years, studying business management, before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. While in Wilmington he played percussion in a band called Waylandsphere, helped book gigs for the group, and began working the business side of touring.

At age 16 Williams interned for his father at The Progressive Global Agency (PGA), a family‑run booking firm that represented acts such as R.E.M., Widespread Panic and The Wailers. After graduation he joined PGA full‑time, where he worked with a small roster of five agents. The agency’s focus on touring and booking gave Williams hands‑on experience that would become the foundation of his career.

After 12 years at PGA, Williams moved to CAA in 2012. He cited the agency’s breadth of genres and the opportunity to work with a larger roster as key reasons for the switch. His first clients at CAA were primarily electronic musicians, including GRiZ, Pretty Lights, Fort Knox Five, Tipper, DJ Logic and 3LAU. He also brought in acts that had been represented by PGA, such as Widespread Panic.

In 2019 Williams signed Jelly Roll, a Nashville‑born rapper and singer who had been building an independent touring machine. Williams noted that Jelly Roll’s existing fan base and management team, including John Meneilly and a partnership with BMG, positioned the artist for larger venues. Since signing, Jelly Roll has expanded into amphitheaters and has achieved chart success in both country and hip‑hop markets.

Williams’ client list now spans multiple genres. In addition to Jelly Roll, he represents Three 6 Ma Tha, STS9, Fetty Wap and Mark Ronson. He also works with electronic acts such as GRiZ, HUGEL and Icona Pop, and rock and jam‑band artists like The New Mastersounds and John Popper Project.

Festival booking is a core component of Williams’ role. He has long maintained relationships with festival buyers and has overseen line‑ups for events such as the Valley of the Seven Stars festival, which GRiZ hosts in Arrington, Virginia. Williams’ team is responsible for site selection, scheduling and overall production for the festival’s 25,000‑ticket run.

Beyond touring and festivals, Williams has witnessed the Nashville CAA office grow into a multi‑disciplinary hub that now includes television, sports and digital media. He describes the office’s expansion as a “smart growth” that reflects Nashville’s broader entertainment ecosystem.

Williams credits his father, a former agent, as his primary mentor, and notes that CAA’s culture of cross‑departmental mentorship has continued to shape his career. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining perspective, humility and resilience in the face of the music industry’s rapid changes.

As of August 2026, Williams continues to develop touring strategies for his roster and to secure festival placements. His next steps include expanding the Nashville office’s digital initiatives and exploring new partnership opportunities for his clients.

The article concludes that Hunter Williams remains a key figure in Nashville’s touring landscape, leveraging his early experience at a family agency and his long tenure at CAA to guide artists across genres toward larger venues and festival stages.