Touring
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Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. Here, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre. Today, we continue with comedy. Comedy […]
As the son of veteran agent Dennis Arfa, whose clients include Billy Joel, Metallica, Def Leppard and Rod Stewart, Jarred Arfa felt the pull of the entertainment business early on but wanted to make his own mark. And though he joined the family business, Artist Group International (AGI) — after a stint at Robert F.X. Sillerman’s licensing and rights company, CKX — he didn’t quite follow in his father’s footsteps, choosing to focus on agency management and business strategy instead of the day-to-day work of an agent.
In June, those responsibilities doubled when Jarred, 39, was promoted to executive vp/head of global music at Independent Artist Group (IAG), the talent firm formed when billionaire Ron Burkle’s The Yucaipa Companies merged AGI and the Agency for the Performing Arts, more commonly known as APA. (Yucaipa purchased AGI in 2012 and had been financing APA since 2020.)
The combined agencies now represent approximately 400 acts — a big jump from the 270 or so on AGI’s premerger roster — now that APA’s artists — among them, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Ne-Yo, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Cypress Hill and D’Angelo — have been folded into the mix.
That said, Jarred points out that “my role isn’t just signing clients, it’s signing agents” and growing the business as a whole. He also oversees the music division’s day-to-day operations and continues to work with his father, who is now IAG’s music division chairman. (Both manage Joel.)
Jarred, who lives with his wife and son in Manhattan, spoke to Billboard about the changes he has made at the agency. He also sized up his main competition and weighed in on WME and CAA agents’ dissatisfaction with their treatment after their companies’ initial public offering (IPO) and sale, respectively.
How did the IAG deal come together?
[Yucaipa co-founder and managing partner] Ron Burkle made an investment in APA during the pandemic. Frankly, we were not interested in them at first. The way their music department was run was not the way we ran ours, but I also saw they had some nice pieces of business. We met with Jim Osborne, who’s now [IAG] CEO, and we were really impressed by what he did with 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige — reinvigorating their brands through film and TV and how that enhanced their touring. So we started very organically. We decided not to commingle our music departments, but we had some artists interested in film and TV and started working with projects for Jane’s Addiction and Ghost. Eventually, we became agreeable to doing something bigger with APA if they handed the reins over to us in music. We merged, and Jim and Ron bet on me as the guy to help clean up their current music business in terms of who to keep and who not to keep.
How did Yucaipa’s culture affect IAG?
Their mantra has always been to let entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs and stay hands-off in the running of the business. We have one person from Yucaipa who works with us on a day-to-day basis, and then we go direct to Ron for bigger-picture things. When we sold the business to Yucaipa in 2011, I was still in my 20s, and I never felt he judged me by age. It was simply, “Are you smart? Can you get the job done?” If you deliver for him, you continue to rack up credibility. If I email him on something work-related, I’ll usually get a response quickly. It’s incredible, honestly, to have access to someone at that level.
How many clients does the company currently oversee?
In terms of touring, we have over 400 clients. That said, there were another 400 that were cut from the roster. We scrapped APA’s territorial system — which revolved around adult contemporary [acts] — and parted with some of the people in that model that didn’t work with our culture. We shifted some of the workforce and resources to where they were needed, which was their thriving urban department.
AGI was a music-first booking agency. How has merging with an agency involved in branding, film and TV benefited your roster?
Initially, [our music focus] served us well. We got a lot of clients who were promised the world by the major agencies, and when nothing was delivered for them, they’d come to us and say, “At least we know you’ll handle our touring well.” At the same time, it made it difficult to attract younger clients who were looking for [film/TV opportunities] and hoping for a branding deal. We need those other assets now to get us in the room for touring, which the APA partnership unlocks for us. And then we show them how much of a difference we can make on the touring side.
You have said that one of your most important responsibilities at AGI is to “stay neutral.” What does that mean?
It means I’m totally neutral when it comes to how we use our resources. A lot of times when we do sign an artist and I’m involved in the signing, I’m the one deciding which agent makes the most sense for the project because I’m the most versed in our agents’ skill sets and which one’s personality type suits the artist.
Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency was a huge success. How will its completion affect business?
Nothing in our strategy changes. Obviously, you can never replace a once-in-a-lifetime-caliber artist on the level of Billy Joel, but as he recently said, he plans to continue to work after his residency at MSG is complete. We also have many other arena and stadium headliners.
How does IAG stack up against a competitor like Wasserman Music?
They’ve inherited a very strong music business. I think the problem they have — and they can dismiss it all they want, but it’s the same problem we had at AGI — is that they’re attached to a sports business. They don’t have the traditional film and TV core that is so important to so many of our artists. That’s an impediment.
Both WME and CAA have come under fire for how employees were treated during WME’s second IPO and CAA’s sale to Artemis. Agents at both firms were extremely disappointed with the amount and value of the shares they received. What’s your take?
First, I want to acknowledge that CAA’s $7 billion valuation is amazing for the agency business. As far as taking care of their people, when it comes to bonuses, I’ve always believed in the split model because there’s no arguments at the end of the day. The agent knows, based on a set formula, what they’re going to earn. There’s no gray area to be worked out, and that leads to a lot less headaches come those year-end conversations.
You’ve been public about your support of Ticketmaster. What is the government doing wrong in its constant probing of the ticketing space?
They should be focusing on the secondary market. That’s where the real problem lies. But they get lobbied hard by companies like StubHub. As agents, the best we can do is get as much of the high-end revenue for our artists that otherwise would go to the secondary market while keeping enough tickets available at affordable prices. Ticketmaster tools like Dynamic and Platinum are very helpful.
Do you think programs like Verified Fan are here to stay?
As much as I like Ticketmaster programs, this is the one that I don’t think works. Look at the backlash from Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen fans. Ticketmaster is making people take an extra step, and in exchange, the fans believe they’ll get a ticket at a fair price — neither of which is necessarily true. Verified Fan creates this false hope for the fan, and while the intention is noble, it ends up creating a lot more frustration than reward.
How often do you communicate with your father on agency business?
We speak a couple of times a day about what’s going on in his artist world and what his needs are. I would say we spend at least one phone call a day talking about Billy Joel and strategy. It is always a lot of fun.
When you two get together for family events, do you talk business?
It’s a blend. We could be talking about my son for one minute, then it goes back to the business. Then we talk about sports, and it’s back to business again.
The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) has hired its first MD: Nathaniel Marro from New York’s Entourage Talent Associates. Having worked closely with Entourage founder Wayne Forte for over a decade, during which he worked on the management team for Tedeschi Trucks Band, Marro is now tasked with expanding NITO membership and advocating for policy […]
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Nicki Minaj is heading out on world tour in support of her new album, Pink Friday 2. The rap queen will embark on a global jaunt launching at the Rolling Loud festival in Oakland, Calif., on March 1, 2024.
Presale tickets for the Pink Friday 2 World Tour go on sale on Tuesday (Dec. 12). Citi cardmembers will get presale access to tickets starting on Tuesday at 9 a.m. local time until Thursday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. local time, per Live Nation.
General onsale starts on Friday, Dec. 15, at 9 a.m. local time.
VIP packages and experiences will be available including premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters — Minaj’s VIP lounge featuring special pop-up activations, exclusive merch and more.
Citi cardmembers get access to presale through the Citi Entertainment program. To purchase presale tickets on Citientertainment.com, navigate to the calendar and click the desired show date. A six-digit code will be required to purchase presale tickets.
The Pink Friday 2 World Tour will cover 30 U.S. cities, including Las Vegas, New Orleans, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, two shows in New York (Barclays and Madison Square Garden) and J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C., on April 7.
After the U.S., the tour will head overseas to the U.K., France, Germany and The Netherlands. Presale tickets for the U.K. and Europe are on sale now, including tickets for shows in Paris, London and Amsterdam. General onsale will be available starting Dec. 15. Tickets are priced at approximately €76.20 but prices may vary depending on the city.
Fans can also check ticket sites such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, Seat Geek and Viagogo for tour tickets as they become available. The cheapest tickets that we’ve seen start at $72.50 at Ticketmaster (presale) and $80-$150 at StubHub and Vivid Seats.
Minaj is also scheduled to perform at the 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Atlanta on Dec. 14. Get tickets here.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Def Leppard won’t be “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” this summer. Instead, they’ve announced another tour with the legendary Journey. The two bands will be putting on a joint tour starting July 6 that will travel across North America — and you won’t want to miss out on scoring cheap tickets.
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The “Love Bites” band may have just wrapped up their joint tour with Motley Crue, but they’re ready to hit the road again with a 23-city trek that’ll have ’80s rock fans excited to sing top hits by them and Journey as well as songs from their 12th studio album, Diamond Star Halos. The tour will begin in St. Louis, Mo., and hit cities including Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles and more before wrapping in Denver on Sept. 8.
Def Leppard announced the joint tour on Instagram on Thursday (Dec. 7) with a video montage revealing official openers that include Steve Miller Band, Heart and Cheap Trick, which will vary by city.
“JUST ANNOUNCED!!! Def Leppard and @journeyofficial are teaming up to rock 2024 with @stevemillerband, @heartofficial, and @cheaptrick!” the captions read.
The official fan presale happens on Tuesday (Dec. 12), but Citi cardholders have the opportunity to participate in a member-exclusive presale beginning Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. local time. General tickets will go on sale on Friday (Dec. 15) at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster. Prices for tickets will range from $49 to $549.
If you miss the presale and general onsale, you may be able to score ticket through resale retailers including Vivid Seats, StubHub and Seat Geek. Plus, you can score $10 off a purchase of $250+ on Seat Geek when you use the code BILLBOARD10 (valid on first purchases only).
Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. This week, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre. Today, we continue with country. Country music […]
Whenever Ed Sheeran has toured Australia and New Zealand, he has partnered with Frontier Touring, the live division of the dominant independent music company, Mushroom Group. And he breaks records with almost monotonous regularity.
He did it with his Divide tour in 2018, which sold more than 1 million tickets in the market, according to Frontier, breaking Dire Straits’ record that had stood since the 1980s. And Sheeran did it again with his most recent trek, The Mathematics Tour, which filled stadiums across the country earlier this year, smashing the all-time ticket sales record on consecutive nights (March 2-3) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, according to Frontier.
But this year’s tour was different. Mushroom Group’s legendary founder, Michael Gudinski, was not waiting at the airport to greet Sheeran. No Michael to see him off, either, or run amok on the adventures for which the good friends were famous.
“The reason I’m here right now,” Sheeran told the 105,000-strong Melbourne audience on March 2, “is because of an idea that he formed about eight years ago, and said, ‘Ed, you need to play in the round, in the MCG, with a band.’ I’d only started playing stadiums at this point, and I was like, ‘That place is really big. I’ve never played with a band.’ ” But Gudinski “convinced” him, he says, after his Divide tour ended. “I really wish he was here tonight,” Sheeran added.
Michael, the larger-than-life chairman and founder of Mushroom Group, which includes Frontier Touring and more than 20 music company brands, died March 2, 2021, at age 68.
The Mushroom Group and its staff was a family under Michael, and it remains so under his son, Matt, who now helms the company as chairman/CEO.
Michael (left) and Matt Gudinski in 2019.
Mushroom Creative House
Matt, 38, steered the business and its 300 staffers through the pandemic that crushed the live industry. Now Mushroom’s touring and agency activities have bounced back, and business is booming. As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Matt has taken the opportunity to look ahead and to remember the company’s achievements and challenges.
Matt had little time to grieve the death of his father. With his appointment to the top job confirmed in April 2021, he hit the ground running. He was at the helm when Mushroom announced its new talent management division, Mushroom Management; a multilayered international pipeline deal with Universal Music’s Virgin Music; the realignment of Frontier Touring; the launch of new booking agency MBA and events/touring company MG Live; and a partnership with hip-hop specialist Valve Sounds.
In 2021, he navigated Mushroom’s break with Harbour Agency, following claims from former staff of past management misbehavior at the agency.
On Nov. 26, dozens of Australia’s leading artists performed at Mushroom’s 50th-anniversary concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena — a venue where a statue of Michael, holding aloft his finger in the familiar No. 1 gesture, stands outside the entrance. Such Mushroom family acts as Jimmy Barnes, The Teskey Brothers, Amy Shark, The Temper Trap, Vika & Linda, DMA’S, Paul Kelly, Ross Wilson, Kate Ceberano and Missy Higgins joined the event that aired on the Seven Network, performing a mix of originals and classics from across the Mushroom catalog, including “Working Class Man,” “Holy Grail,” “Sweet Disposition,” “Riptide,” “It’s Only the Beginning,” “Before Too Long” and “Living in the 70s.”
The countdown to the concert included the Nov. 24 release of an all-star covers collection, Mushroom: 50 Years of Making Noise, and the theatrical release in August of Ego, The Michael Gudinski Story, a documentary on the executive whose death was mourned by many of the superstars he worked with, from Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen to Dave Grohl and Sheeran.
Veteran Mushroom artist Paul Kelly was among those on the bill of a Nov. 26 televised concert to mark the company’s anniversary.
Tim Lambert/Mushroom Creative House
In 1972, when Michael was just 20, he launched Mushroom Records, which soon became Australia’s indie music juggernaut. The company has shaped the country’s music culture like no other brand. Today, Mushroom Group embraces touring, booking agencies, publishing, merchandising/marketing services, venues, exhibition/events production, neighboring rights, branding, labels, talent management and more. (Warner Music acquired and absorbed the Mushroom Records label in Australia over a decade ago.)
“To survive 50 years as an independent music entertainment company is something we’re extremely proud of,” Matt says. “And throughout this year, we’ve tried to celebrate not only the history of the company, but the future.”
What were the first business challenges you took on when your father died?
We were still deep within the pandemic. And there were a lot of unknowns about how the music industry and the wider entertainment industry would move forward and recover from that. Without live music, it was an extremely challenging time for Mushroom Group and its survival. I’m really proud to be sitting here two-and-a-half years on from that, and I can confidently say that the Mushroom Group as a whole is in its best shape it has ever been.
What is your earliest memory of your father at work at Mushroom?
I’d always come into the office from a very young age, after school or even on holiday. We’d be going on tours together, whether it be Jimmy Barnes or Billy Joel. Before I’d even hit double [digits], I had a real passion for it. I was a budding concert promoter and entrepreneur, similar to my dad at a young age.
What was your first job in the music business?
When I was around 12 years old, I started trying to run some different events at different town halls, mostly for [those] under 18 and promoting bands. The first event I did wasn’t that successful; thenI started to hit my stride and was pretty much hooked. When I was about 16, I started getting involved with managing some upcoming artists and began to have influence in the A&R side of the group.
Your father was such a boisterous individual. What’s your management style?
It’s always an open-door policy and very collaborative. My dad was obviously a larger-than-life figure, and maybe some people out there thought that Mushroom was all about him, a one-man band. It was never that, never will be. Now there’s an opportunity for so many great people who’ve been part of the Mushroom Group for a long period of time to build up their profiles and really make a mark on this company and its future. Bringing their vision to life is something I’m very passionate about.
A U.S. No. 1 hit was high on your father’s wish list. What’s on yours?
At the time he had that dream, Australian artists having success [in] the biggest music market, the U.S. — outside of a very select few — was a foreign concept. Now there are so many artists that are making noise, having success globally. International success is a big priority, a big goal of mine. We have some artists who are doing really well, but we’d like them to go even further.
Michael Gudinski in 1979.
Mushroom Group Archive
You’ve recently had Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Sam Smith and Paramore tour Australia with Frontier Touring. Foo Fighters are next up. How would you describe the live business right now?
We’ve definitely had the biggest touring period in our history since the return to live. More artists are wanting to come here than ever before, and so many artists are selling more tickets than ever. But there’s still so many challenges to deliver these tours, whether it’s rising costs, economic challenges or just the competitiveness in the market. Everyone’s selling more tickets, but it’s more competitive than ever.
Your father was very proud of you for landing a Drake tour. How did that come about?
Drake was an artist that I was following from quite early and had been trying to get to come to Australia for many years before we finally landed his tour in 2015. It was a coup to get such a global superstar like Drake to tour Australia when we did. And we’ve had a few successful tours with him since then. Bruno Mars was another artist I brought to Australia very early.
Taylor Swift’s last tour in Australia was with Live Nation. Now Frontier Touring is producing her tour, which is scheduled for February.
We’ve worked with Taylor many times before. She loves Australia. And we’re looking forward to hosting her again. To get her back working with Frontier is something that we’re really excited about. I know it would have meant a lot to my dad, who had a great relationship with Taylor. I don’t think we’ve ever seen that demand for a tour like this, not just for Frontier, but for any promoters. For every one person who has bought a ticket to her tour, there are probably another 20 in Australia who want a ticket.
Your father was a relentless traveler and loved it. Is that something you enjoy?
My dad loved getting out there and building relationships, showing up anywhere in the world to see an artist that we worked with or that we wanted to work with. I definitely do the same. Travel in our industry coming out of the pandemic has probably changed a little bit, and the technology has evolved, but that’s how you create, maintain and grow great relationships.
How has Mushroom survived as an independent while so many other indies have gone belly up or been absorbed by multinationals?
The core of Mushroom is to invest in supporting Australian talent and to take it to the world. My dad was big on the saying of being a leader, not a follower. We’ve continued to evolve and adapt; it’s why we sit here with so many different business arms to the Mushroom Group, because we’re not reliant on one. If we were just a record label, we would have struggled to survive to this point. [We’ve been] able to continually evolve and ensure that we’re looking for the next thing, not the current thing. And investing in great people and other great entrepreneurs has really allowed us to stay successful over such a long period of time. Part of what makes us unique is the fact that it is a family affair. So many people at Mushroom have been there a long time. And we’re really an extension of our family. That’s what else has made us survive.
How did your father prepare you to take the reins at Mushroom?
It’s all about reputation in our business. He just instilled into me those key fundamentals: how to ensure that the business moves forward and all the foundations that he’d laid go on for a long time. Mushroom’s success is really down to amazing people, great artists, loyalty and strong overall values. I was lucky enough that for a number of years my dad and I were working closely together, and the Mushroom Group expanded so much over the past 10 years. A lot of the areas we moved into were things that not only were we driving together, but that I was driving and really taking the reins on. I was well prepared to take on the greater responsibility. I’ll always say it: My dad and I love what we did so much because we did it together. It’ll never be the same doing it without him.
Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance
A restructured Frontier touring continues to bring superstars to Australia.
Dion Brant was named CEO of Frontier in 2022.
Ian Laidlaw
Australian promoter Frontier Touring has come roaring back from the 2021 death of founder Michael Gudinski and a pandemic that hobbled the live industry.
“We’ve completed around 160 tours since the restart of touring in mid-2022,” Frontier CEO Dion Brant says. “It has been a strong 18 months,” he adds, noting the company had 44 tours on sale as of early November. According to year-end Billboard Boxscore data, Frontier ranks as the No. 7 promoter worldwide for 2023.
Founded by Gudinski in 1979, Frontier was established on the core value of prioritizing artists and fans. The company has continued to channel this ethos since touring restarted following the health crisis.
In recent months, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Sam Smith and Luke Combs have played stadiums and arenas across Australia as part of Frontier-produced tours. Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour sold over 830,000 tickets across 12 shows in Australia and New Zealand and left excess demand, Brant says.
The heat isn’t dissipating from the market anytime soon.
Throughout the Southern Hemisphere summer, Frontier will promote treks for Robbie Williams, Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour has sold out seven 2024 stadium shows across Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s most populous cities.
The so-called “tyranny of distance” — a phrase coined in 1966 by Australian historian Geoffrey Blainey — makes the country a challenging touring market. “It is more expensive” post-COVID-19, Brant says. The cost to “move people and freight is much higher than pre-COVID. An already marginal business is even more marginal.”
Even the price of replacement turf has soared. “Artists and their agents are working harder than ever to make touring viable, to get their artists in front of audiences in a way that still stacks up financially,” Brant continues. “We all play our part in that.”
Brant was promoted in March 2022, heading up a new leadership team, part of wider restructuring designed to help the “legacy, mission and culture” of Frontier to flourish following Gudinski’s death in March 2021.
Brant reports to the Frontier board, which includes Michael’s son, Mushroom Group chairman/CEO Matt Gudinski; Jay Marciano, chairman/CEO of AEG Presents, which has a joint venture with Frontier; and AEG Presents Asia Pacific president/CEO Adam Wilkes, who was appointed Frontier chairman as part of the restructuring.
Legendary Australian concert promoter Michael Chugg, executive chairman of Chugg Entertainment, reunited with former business partner Michael Gudinski to form a joint venture in 2019. More recently, Chugg joined the Frontier leadership team alongside Matt, Frontier senior promoter Gerard Schlaghecke and others.
As live entertainment returned, Frontier has welcomed a new golden age of stadium shows, promoting gigs by Billy Joel, Foo Fighters and Elton John. In years past, Australia would host “two to three stadium tours a summer for all promoters, if we had a big summer,” Brant says. “That seems to have changed.”
“Twenty years ago, people were lamenting what would happen to the business when The Rolling Stones, Eagles and Neil Diamond-type acts stopped filling stadiums,” he says. Not anymore. Brant points to the evolution in stage production and the quality of new artists now making their mark.
Adds Brant: “To be in stadiums eight times over a couple of summers is big for Frontier.”
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is pilot testing a new waste diversion initiative at the arena’s upcoming two-night run for Depeche Mode on Dec. 15 and 17.
The program, held in conjunction with reusable cup manufacturer r.World, could help divert hundreds of thousands of single-use cups out of local landfills and eventually serve as a staple sustainability initiative at the AEG-owned facility, which is widely recognized as a leader in the live entertainment business’ efforts toward long-term sustainability.
As part of the program, Crypto.com Arena and its janitorial servicer, ABM, will work with r.World to receive and distribute 13,000 beer, cocktail and soft drink cups around the arena. On the nights of the Depeche Mode performances, the cups will be utilized by the arena’s bar, beverage and concessionaires to serve drinks to attendees, who will then dispose of the cups in specially marked bins staged around the arena. At the end of the first show, the cups will be collected by r.World staff and taken to a nearby cleaning facility where they will be washed and returned to the arena for the second night. Both shows are being promoted by Live Nation.
The program, explains Crypto.com Arena president Lee Zeidman, was inspired by Depeche Mode’s long-running commitment to environmental and sustainability initiatives. “Commencing with the electrifying Depeche Mode concerts, our aim is to ignite a wave of positive change and rally our audience and partners to actively participate in shaping a more eco-conscious future,” he tells Billboard.
Last year, a similar pilot program was launched by AEG-owned Goldenvoice with r.World to eliminate plastic cups from its Cali Vibes festival in Long Beach, Calif. Following the pilot, Crypto.com Arena will evaluate the data from the two concerts and, if the program is successful, will look to collaborate with current or future partners to make r.World a full-time option to guests and fans in the future.
“We believe that there’s going to be less labor needed in terms of cleanup and the cleanup crew, and we believe we’re going to have lower waste disposal fees,” Zeidman says. “We also believe that people will embrace this opportunity to keep single plastic waste out of the stream and perhaps buy more beers or Cokes.”
In addition to Los Angeles, r.World boasts industrial “Wash Hub” facilities that also service Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. To meet market demand for reuse, the company plans to expand the program to eight to 12 more cities in the next 24 months.
“We’re excited to work with Crypto.com Arena — as one of the busiest venues in the world, the positive environmental impact potential of reuse is massive,” said Michael Martin, r.World founder/CEO. “They’ve led the industry and operated in the most environmentally innovative ways since opening in 1999, and so it’s no surprise they’re launching the pilot reuse program in the LA market and ultimately, driving change across the live events industry.”
Nicki Minaj is bringing Pink Friday 2 to a city near you. Just days after the release of her latest studio album, the Queen of Rap has announced dates for a world tour in support of the Pink Friday sequel. Kicking off Friday, March 1, in Oakland, Calif., the three-month trek will find Minaj performing […]
The Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards, spotlighting those behind-the-scenes members who keep country music’s touring industry going.
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Final-round voting for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards opens Wednesday, Dec. 13 and closes Thursday, Dec. 28. This year’s CMA Touring Awards will again be hosted by Keith Urban and will take place Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Nashville.
Ron Baird, industry veteran and former head of Creative Arts Agency’s (CAA) Nashville office, will be posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years.
“Honoring our touring community is something I look forward to every year,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, in a statement. “Each time I attend a show, hear a new tour being announced, or see footage from an unforgettable night, I am reminded again of the importance, dedication and resilience of our touring community. I am also especially excited to add five additional categories this year, including a Crew of the Year honor. They are the road warriors that keep Country Music alive all over the world, and I can’t wait to celebrate them on February 12!”
“As someone who spent years not only setting up all my own equipment at shows, but was also for a time a lighting guy and crew member for a band, I know the hard work that goes in to keeping shows on the road,” Urban added. “I’m honored to once again be asked to host the CMA Touring Awards and acknowledge and shower some love on all the hard workers behind the scenes that make it all happen.”
This year, the CMA Touring Awards have expanded, adding five categories. CMA members will have the opportunity to vote for Backline Technician, Stage Manager, Support Services Company, Unsung Hero and Crew of the Year. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten awards were presented at the first gala and the number swelled to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.
See the full list of nominees below:
Crew of the year
“All American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton“The Outsiders Revival Tour” Crew – Eric Church“I Go Back Tour” Crew – Kenny Chesney“Country On Tour” Crew – Luke Bryan“2023 World Tour” Crew – Luke Combs“One Night At A Time World Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen“No Bad Vibes Tour” Crew – Old Dominion“Home Team Tour 23” Crew – Thomas Rhett
Backline technician of the year
Jason Baskin – Zac Brown BandMelvin “Melvis” Fults – Kenny ChesneyCarlos Gutierrez – Dierks BentleyJason Herndon – Blake SheltonJoel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas RhettJeremiah Langdon – Jelly RollChris Miller – Keith UrbanZach Rickard – Brothers Osborne
Business manager of the year
Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Catherine Morris – Farris, Self & Moore, LLCCaleb See – Curo Financial, LLCMichael Vaden – Vaden Group/Elliott DavisKris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC
Coach/truck driver of the year
Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown BandJosh Easter – Morgan WallenRhett Evens – Thomas RhettCaleb Garrett – Luke BryanJustin Pullin – Old DominionErin Siegfried – Lainey WilsonChris Simms – Jelly RollWayne “Wayno” Sullivan – Blake Shelton/Keith Urban
FOH (front of house) engineer of the year
Brendan Hines – Jelly RollAaron Lain – Morgan WallenTodd Lewis – Luke CombsBen Rigby – Eric ChurchArpad Sayko – Chris StapletonTrey Smith – Thomas RhettIan Zorbaugh – Old Dominion
Lighting director of the year
Zac Coren – Morgan WallenPhilip Ealy – Kenny ChesneyKevin Lichty – Old DominionMac Mosier – Chris StapletonKevin Northrup – Luke CombsTaylor Price – Miranda LambertAustin Strain – Jelly RollAlec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett
Manager of the year
Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck EntertainmentVirginia Bunetta – G-Major ManagementMartha Earls – Neon CoastKerri Edwards – KP EntertainmentClint Higham – Morris Higham ManagementMarion Kraft – ShopKeeper ManagementMandelyn Monchick – Red Light ManagementJohn Peets – Q Prime South
Monitor engineer of the year
Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny ChesneyMark Davis – Jelly RollLogan Hanna – Brothers OsborneAndy Hill – Zac Brown BandNathan Lowe – Eric ChurchJimmy Nicholson – Thomas RhettDean Studebaker – Old DominionScott Tatter – Dierks Bentley
Production manager of the year
Chris Alderman – Blake SheltonJohn Garriott – Chris StapletonMeesha Kosciolek – Eric ChurchErik Leighty – Miranda LambertChris Nathan – Jake OwenEarl Neal – Jason AldeanKevin Twist – Thomas RhettEd Wannebo – Kenny Chesney
Publicist of the year
Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast MediaPaul Freundlich – PFA MediaQuinn Kaemmer – Big Machine Label GroupTyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PRCarla Sacks – Sacks & Co.Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Public RelationsWes Vause – Press On PublicityJennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity
Stage manager of the year
Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric ChurchDonnie Floyd – Morgan WallenTodd Green – Chris StapletonMatt Hornbeck – Luke CombsJosh “Dude” Marcus – Jason AldeanTom Nisun – Kenny ChesneyRichard Rossey – Old DominionJustin Sumrall – Thomas Rhett
Support services company of the year
4 Wall EntertainmentClair GlobalDega CateringMaster Tour by EventricMoo TVRichards & Southern
Talent agent of the year
Meredith Jones – CAAJoey Lee – WMEJonathan Levine – Wasserman MusicDarin Murphy – CAAAdi Sharma – The Neal AgencyAaron Tannenbaum – WMEElisa Vazzana – UTAJay Williams – WME
Talent buyer/promoter of the year
Bradley Jordan – Peachtree EntertainmentPatrick McDill – Live Nation NashvilleLouis Messina – The Messina GroupRich Schaefer – AEG PresentsAaron Spalding – Live Nation NashvilleEd Warm – Joe’s ConcertsAdam Weiser – AEG Presents
Tour manager of the year
Matt Anderson – Old DominionJason Hecht – Chris StapletonLuke Holton – Brothers OsborneChuck Hull – Keith UrbanMeg Miller – Lainey WilsonEthan Strunk – Luke CombsChris Thacker – Dierks BentleyJon Townley – Thomas Rhett
Touring musician of the year
Rob Byus (Bass Guitar) – Blake SheltonPaul Franklin (Steel Guitar) – Chris Stapleton/Vince GillBen Helson (Guitar) – Dierks BentleyLee Hendricks (Bass Guitar) – Eric ChurchHarmoni Kelley (Bass Guitar) – Kenny ChesneyChris Kimmerer (Drums) – Thomas RhettDanny Mitchell (Piano) – Miranda LambertKurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs
Tour videographer/photographer of the year
Mason Allen – Old DominionAndy Barron – Chris StapletonZach Belcher – Dierks BentleyDavid Bergman – Luke CombsCeCe Dawson – Lainey WilsonTanner Gallagher – HARDYGrayson Gregory – Thomas RhettAndy Pollitt – Jelly Roll
Tour video director of the year
Josh Clark – Miranda LambertJay Cooper – Kenny ChesneyHouston Creswell – Dierks BentleyRon Etters – Chris StapletonNate Fountain – Zach Bryan/Blake SheltonChris Jones – Jelly RollRicky Krohne – Thomas RhettMichael Todd “M.T.” Stembridge – Eric Church
Venue of the year
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TNBankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NHBridgestone Arena – Nashville, TNChoctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OKGrand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TNJoe’s on Weed Street – Chicago, ILPaycom Center – Oklahoma City, OKRed Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Unsung hero of the year
Dallas Bowsier – Eric ChurchJosh Castle – Dierks BentleyRJ Estrella – Luke CombsKayla Carter Greear – Luke BryanKelsey Maynard – Old DominionTodd Molle – Jake OwenMel Murphy – Live Nation NashvilleTyler Rhodes – Thomas Rhett