Russell Emanuel is a pioneering producer and executive redefining the way music is created and experienced across film, television and beyond. As the co-founder and CEO of Bleeding Fingers Music and Extreme Music, Russell is known for building industry-shaping companies and for spotting and nurturing exceptional talent.

At Bleeding Fingers Music, a multiple Emmy Award®-winning and BAFTA Award-nominated composer collective he co-founded with Hans Zimmer and Steven Kofsky, Russell has cultivated a dynamic, collaborative environment for some of today’s most formidable emerging composers. Under his leadership, Bleeding Fingers has scored prestigious series and landmark projects including The Simpsons, Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Seven Worlds, One Planet, Frozen Planet II, and Apple TV+'s Prehistoric Planet, amongst others. The company earned five 2024 Primetime Emmy nominations across score and sound categories for Netflix's Beckham, BBC's Planet Earth III, and Sky/Peacock's The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which featured a closing credits song collaboration with Barbra Streisand. Additionally, Bleeding Fingers has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music Composition, as well as Bulldog, Webby and Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Russell has also overseen groundbreaking collaborations with artists including Radiohead, Sia, Camila Cabello, RAYE, Bastille, Aurora and K-pop sensation Seventeen—reimagining how music shapes narrative in film and television. Bleeding Fingers' work has extended into major live events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Buckingham Palace and the Tokyo Olympics.

In 1997, Russell co-founded Extreme Music in London with the goal of revolutionizing the production music landscape. He transformed the space by bringing world-renowned artists and composers like Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones, Sir George Martin and Snoop Dogg into the music library world—raising the creative standard across the industry. He also led the charge in shifting the format from strictly instrumental tracks to vocal-driven storytelling, recognizing early the power of music to emotionally anchor content.

Known for his bold, high-impact marketing and irreverent approach to creative direction, Russell grew Extreme into a dominant force in production music—leading to its acquisition by Viacom in 2005 and later by Sony/ATV (now Sony Music Publishing) in 2008.

Born in London and based in Los Angeles, Russell continues to lead both Bleeding Fingers and Extreme Music while exploring new ventures that challenge the conventions of music, creativity and storytelling.