NASHVILLE – Voting to determine the winners in 15 categories for the CMA Touring Awards (formerly the SRO Awards) opens Tuesday, Nov. 22 and ends Wednesday, Dec. 7 (6:00 PM/CT).
CMA members in the following categories are eligible to vote: Advertising/Public Relations/Media, Affiliated, Artist, Entertainment Services, Marketing/Digital, Musician, Personal Manager, Record Label, Talent Agent, Talent Buyer/Promoter, Touring, and Venue. The professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP tabulates the voting.
“It is an honor to recognize the hard work these men and women devote to advancing Country Music on the road from coast-to-coast,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “These touring professionals are on the frontlines with the fans and each one is an important ambassador for the format and very deserving of our applause.”
Final nominees for the 2016 CMA Touring Awards are as follows (in alphabetical order):
CATEGORY 1 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Cheryl Harris – O’Neil Hagaman, PLLC
Rob Taylor – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
CATEGORY 2 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Ron Easley – Jason Aldean
Josh Easter – Kenny Chesney
Larry Phye, Jr. – Chris Stapleton
CATEGORY 3 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Jared Blumenberg – Florida Georgia Line
Billy Moore – Eric Church
Chris Stephens – Jason Aldean
CATEGORY 4 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Scott Cunningham – Florida Georgia Line
Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
Chris Reade – Dierks Bentley
CATEGORY 5 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment
Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
Clarence Spalding – Maverick
CATEGORY 6 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Tom Addison – Dierks Bentley
Todd Bunch – Eric Church
Logan Kornegay – Thomas Rhett
CATEGORY 7 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Marc Earp – Eric Church
Jordan Kolenc – Taylor Swift
Phil Wilkey – Keith Urban
CATEGORY 8 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Arthur Kemish – Taylor Swift
Ken Thomas – Florida Georgia Line
Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 9 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Ebie McFarland – Essential Broadcast Media, LLC
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom
Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Relations
CATEGORY 10 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Rob Beckham – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC
Kevin Neal – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC
Jay Williams – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC
CATEGORY 11 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Ben Farrell – Lon Varnell Enterprises
Louis Messina – The Messina Group
Brian O’Connell – Live Nation
CATEGORY 12 – TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR
Dega Catering
HSG Catering
Mike Maxwell + Co. Motion Picture Catering
CATEGORY 13 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Wyatt Beard – Kenny Chesney (Keyboard)
David Cook – Taylor Swift (Keyboard)
Dan Hochhalter – Dierks Bentley (Fiddle)
CATEGORY 14 – VENUE OF THE YEAR
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, Tenn.
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook – Gilford, NH
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.
CATEGORY 15 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
John Breslin – Garth Brooks
Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
Milojko Dobrijevich – Jason Aldean
The CMA Touring Awards (formerly known as the SRO Awards) were originally created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first SRO Awards were presented at a black tie gala, hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller, during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, which was also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten SRO Awards were presented at the first gala and the number of Awards swelled to 19 before the last were handed out at SRO ’97. In 2011, CMA brought back the Touring Musician of the Year Award. In 2012, SRO Awards in 14 categories were handed out in Nashville during the annual IEBA Conference; and in 2013, the Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year Award was added bringing the total number of SRO Awards categories to 15. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016 by the CMA Board of Directors.
For more information, visit CMAworld.com.
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,400 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Music Festival, which benefits music education and is taped for a three-hour TV special; and “CMA Country Christmas,” featuring Country artists performing original music and Christmas classics airing Monday, Nov. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM/ET). All of CMA’s television properties will air on the ABC Television network through 2021.
