Found in many varied types of
contracts and legal documents, the acronym "p/k/a" stands for "professionally known as." The
acronym is commonly used in reference to
musicians who perform under a name different from their
legal name, either as an individual or as a group. For instance, artists may perform under their first name only (
Madonna,
Shakira or
Usher), a pseudonym (
LL Cool J,
Sting or
Lil' Kim) or a group name (
Judas Priest,
MxPx or
3LW).
The term is not restricted to the music industry, though it is not as prevalent. Any instance where a person under contract uses a nom de guerre (performance artists, authors, porn stars, models, etc.) may require it. Actors often choose to legally change their name, circumventing the need for p/k/a in their contracts.
Documents that frequently utilize this phrase include: management contracts, performance contracts, concert riders, subpoenas and other documents of the court.
This phrase differs from the better-known AKA ("also known as") in that the latter has criminal connotations, specifically aliases adopted by criminals to defraud people or evade capture.