Maria Sherman appointed AP’s music writer, based in Los Angeles

Sherman, whose first day was Monday, will lead music coverage for the AP’s entertainment and lifestyles department, which boasts video, photo and text journalists on three continents. She will also work closely with colleagues in AP’s U.S. and international bureaus and across its global beat teams.

“Our readers and our customers will discover new music and be better informed and gain a better understanding of the rapidly evolving music landscape through Maria’s coverage,” Anthony McCartney, global entertainment and lifestyles editor, said.

Sherman, 31, is based in Los Angeles. An accomplished music and culture journalist, she previously worked as a culture writer at Netflix, senior writer at Jezebel, managing editor at Gizmodo Media Group, senior correspondent at Fuse TV and contributor at BuzzFeed Music.

Born in Texas and raised primarily in Germany with some other stops, she studied musical and cultural criticism, as well as creative writing, at New York University.

Her first book, “Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS,” was published in 2020 and is being adapted into a documentary directed by Gia Coppola. She’s also contributed cover stories and buzzy pieces — ranging from Formula 1 fan culture to a deeply personal essay about the ambient soundtrack of Puerto Rico — for outlets including NPR, Rolling Stone, New York magazine, Billboard, SPIN, Nylon and another AP: Alternative Press.