The winners were announced tonight for CMA’s touring industry honors known as the SRO Awards. The trophies were presented at an industry event hosted by road veteran Kix Brooks at Marathon Music Works in Nashville.
“Our members in the touring industry are among the industries hardest working professionals and their many contributions to the format deserve attention and a standing ovation,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.
More fun than a barrel of roadies, the SRO Awards celebration was a musical mashup of everything that makes Country Music tours among the most popular and profitable business centers for the industry. The winners in 15 categories were determined by CMA members in the following categories: Advertising/Public Relations/Media; Affiliated; Artist; Entertainment Services; Marketing/Digital; Musician; Personal Manager; Record Label; Talent Agent; Talent Buyer/Promoter; Touring; and Venue. Ballots were tabulated by the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
CMA’s SRO Awards 2014 Winners are as follows:
CATEGORY 1 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
CATEGORY 2 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Ron Easley – Jason Aldean
CATEGORY 3 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Jeff Parsons – Blake Shelton
CATEGORY 4 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Steve Richards – Taylor Swift
CATEGORY 5 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Kerri Edwards – Red Light Management
CATEGORY 6 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Kevin Canady – Blake Shelton
CATEGORY 7 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Brad Baisley – Blake Shelton
CATEGORY 8 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Todd Ortmeier – Miranda Lambert
CATEGORY 9 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Mary Hilliard Harrington – The GreenRoom
CATEGORY 10 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Rob Beckham – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC
CATEGORY 11 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Brian O’Connell – Live Nation
CATEGORY 12 – TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR
Dega Catering
CATEGORY 13 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
John Thomasson – Little Big Town – Bass
CATEGORY 14 – VENUE OF THE YEAR
Ryman Auditorium –Nashville, Tenn.
CATEGORY 15 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Scott Scovill – Moo TV
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 and in 2012 and 2013, SRO Awards in 14 categories were handed out in Nashville during the annual IEBA Conference. For more information, visitCMAworld.com.
About CMA: 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; the 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 for broadcast during the holiday season. All of CMA’s television properties will air on the ABC Television network through 2021.
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