NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | The Country Music Association has announced nominees for the 2024 CMA Touring Awards, which highlights vital behind-the-scenes members of the Country Music touring industry. Final Round voting for the 2024 CMA Touring Awards opens Monday, Jan. 6 and closes Thursday, Jan. 16. The 19th celebration of the CMA Touring Awards will be hosted by Country superstar Keith Urban, returning for the third year in a row, and will take place Monday, March 3 in Nashville, TN.
Ben Farrell, longtime Country Music concert promoter, will be posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years. It honors an individual that has proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on Country Music fans and the industry alike, and whose presence will have a long-term positive impact on Country Music and CMA for generations to come.
“Taking the time to honor the outstanding work of our touring community is one of our most proud nights of the year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Our road warriors are the ones who take the soul of Nashville on the road and share it with the rest of the world in creative and exciting ways. Country Music’s growth simply would not be possible without each and every one of our nominees and we are so excited to celebrate them this coming March.”
All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
CATEGORY 1 – CREW OF THE YEAR
- “The Beautifully Broken Tour” Crew – Jelly Roll
- “Country’s Cool Again Tour” Crew – Lainey Wilson
- “Gravel & Gold Tour” Crew – Dierks Bentley
- “Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old Tour” Crew – Luke Combs
- “No Bad Vibes Tour” Crew – Old Dominion
- “One Night At A Time Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen
- “Quit!! Tour” Crew – HARDY
- “Sun Goes Down Tour” Crew – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 2 – BACKLINE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
- Derek Benitez – Chris Stapleton
- Dalton Brown – Lainey Wilson
- William Coats – Eric Church
- Allen Cothran – Jason Aldean
- Terry Fox – Kenny Chesney
- Dave Graef – Tim McGraw
- Hunter Lamb – HARDY
- Brian Love – Luke Combs
CATEGORY 3 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Stephanie Alderman – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC
- Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.
- Julie Boos – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
- Kris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC
- Dwight Wiles – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
CATEGORY 4 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- Chad Allison – HARDY
- Josh Easter – Morgan Wallen
- Toby Eaton – Old Dominion
- Rhett Evens – Thomas Rhett
- Terry Ford – Kenny Chesney
- Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
- Wendy Holt – Lainey Wilson
- Chris Sims – Jelly Roll
CATEGORY 5 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
- Ryan Dell – Lainey Wilson
- Ron Gardner – Jelly Roll
- Todd Lewis – Luke Combs
- David Loy – Kane Brown
- Evan “Turbo” Owen – HARDY
- Jeff Parsons – Blake Shelton
- Robert Scovill – Kenny Chesney
- Ian Zorbaugh – Old Dominion
CATEGORY 6 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
- Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen
- Trevor Drawdy – HARDY
- Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
- Andy Knighton – Jason Aldean
- Mitch Mueller – Lainey Wilson
- Kevin Northrup – Luke Combs
- Chris Reade – Dierks Bentley
- Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett
CATEGORY 7 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Elisabeth Ashley – Borman Entertainment
- Enzo DeVincenzo – 377 Management
- Martha Earls – Neon Coast
- Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment
- Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
- Troy “Tracker” Johnson – TRACK Management
- Chris Kappy – Make Wake Artists
CATEGORY 8 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
- Beau Alexander – Morgan Wallen
- Brad Baisley – Blake Shelton
- Cory Benson – Tyler Childers
- Samuel Ferry – HARDY
- Logan Hanna – Brothers Osborne
- Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas Rhett
- Dean Studebaker – Old Dominion
- Michael Zuehsow – Luke Combs
CATEGORY 9 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton
- Jeff Greeninger – Jon Pardi
- Chad Guy – Morgan Wallen
- Meesha Kosciolek – Eric Church
- Earl Neal – Jason Aldean
- Jerry Slone – Luke Combs
- Emily Waller – Lainey Wilson
- Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 10 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
- Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media
- Carla Sacks – Sacks & Co.
- Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Relations
- Jensen Sussman – Sweet Talk Publicity
- Wes Vause – Press On Publicity
- Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity
CATEGORY 11 – STAGE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric Church
- Donnie Floyd – Morgan Wallen
- Matt Hornbeck – Luke Combs
- Josh “Dude” Marcus – Jason Aldean
- Tom Nisun – Kenny Chesney
- Allison Noah – Carly Pearce
- Richard Rossey – Old Dominion
- Fred Yanda – Dan + Shay
CATEGORY 12 – SUPPORT SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR
- Bandit Lites
- Dega Catering
- Master Tour By Eventric
- Moo TV
- Pioneer Coach
- Richards & Southern
- Rising Star Travel
- Spectrum Sound
CATEGORY 13 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
- Mike Betterton – Wasserman Music
- Rod Essig – CAA
- Becky Gardenhire – WME
- Meredith Jones – CAA
- Austin Neal – The Neal Agency
- Braeden Rountree – WME
- Adi Sharma – The Neal Agency
- Elisa Vazzana – UTA
CATEGORY 14 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
- Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
- Brad Garrett – Police Productions
- Bradley Jordan – Peachtree Entertainment
- Brian O’Connell – Live Nation Nashville
- Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville
- Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar
- Adam Weiser – AEG Presents
CATEGORY 15 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Matt Anderson – Old Dominion
- David Farmer – Kenny Chesney
- Jeff Gossett – Morgan Wallen
- Jason Hecht – Chris Stapleton
- Mike McGrath – Tim McGraw
- Ethan Strunk – Luke Combs
- Taylor Watson – HARDY
CATEGORY 16 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
- Kurt Allison (Guitar) – Jason Aldean
- Nick Buda (Drums) – Kenny Chesney
- Jerry Flowers (Bass Guitar) – Keith Urban
- Aslan Freeman (Guitar) – Lainey Wilson
- Kurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs
- Mickey Raphael (Harmonica) – Chris Stapleton
- Tyler Tomlinson (Guitar) – Morgan Wallen
- Charlie Worsham (Guitar) – Dierks Bentley
CATEGORY 17 – TOUR VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
- Mason Allen – Old Dominion
- Alex Alvga – Kane Brown
- Andy Barron – Chris Stapleton
- Becky Fluke – Little Big Town
- Tanner Gallagher – HARDY
- Jeff Johnson – Carrie Underwood
- David Lehr – Morgan Wallen
- Jill Trunnell – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 18 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
- Josh Clark – Miranda Lambert
- Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
- Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley
- Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton
- Tyler Hutcheson – Luke Combs
- Jordan Karow – HARDY
- Mike Tinsley – Tim McGraw
- Jake Zobrist – Cody Johnson
CATEGORY 19 – VENUE OF THE YEAR
- Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
- BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
- Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
- Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
- Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
- Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago, IL
- Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
CATEGORY 20 – UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR
- Holly Atherton – Chris Stapleton
- Kayla Carter Greear – Luke Bryan
- Mindy Grabowski – Live Nation Entertainment
- Jeff “Bean” Griffin – HARDY
- Lolo Kinser – Tim McGraw
- Robin Majors – Kenny Chesney
- Mel Murphy – Live Nation Nashville
- Katie Wilkinson – Chris Stapleton
ABOUT THE CMA TOURING AWARDS
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 grew to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.
ABOUT THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1958, CMA is the premier trade association of the Country Music industry. Representing professionals making a living in Country Music globally, the organization serves as a critical resource of support and information, honors excellence in the genre and provides a forum for industry leadership. CMA is dedicated to expanding Country Music around the world through a number of core programs and initiatives including the organization’s three annual television properties—the CMA Awards, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas,” all of which air on ABC. The organization’s philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, works tirelessly to provide equitable access to music education in order to create impactful change for students and teachers across the United States.
