Kix Brooks To Honor Touring Industry Stars At SRO Awards This Month

Kix Brooks

Kix Brooks will present the 2013 SRO Awards at the upcoming International Entertainment Buyers Association Honors and Award Dinner Oct. 22 during the 43^rd Annual IEBA Conference, held Oct. 19-22 in Nashville. The dinner takes place at the newly-opened Omni Hotel and will honor outstanding achievements within the touring industry.

“The SRO Awards honor those that are the unsung heroes of the touring industry,” said Ed Hardy, CMA Board President. “From getting the artists to the venues, lighting the stages, making sure the sound is perfect, to keeping everyone nourished, these are the people that help make the concert business one of the most successful areas of our business.”

Nominees for this year’s SRO Awards are:

BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Dwight Wiles – Smith, Wiles Co., P.C.

COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Kelley Beck – Blake Shelton
Caleb Garrett – Kenny Chesney
Tim Olson – Toby Keith

FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Greg Huffman – Jake Owen
Jeff Parsons – Blake Shelton
David Payne – Taylor Swift

LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Trevor Ahlstrand – Martina McBride
Paul Normandale – Hunter Hayes
Steve Richards – Taylor Swift

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Robert Allen – 13 Management
Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment
Clint Higham – Morris Artists Management

TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Kevin Canady – Blake Shelton
Greg Fowler – Jake Owen
Erica Worden – Taylor Swift

MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Brad Baisley – Blake Shelton
Jordan Kolenc – Taylor Swift
Evan Richner – Jason Aldean

PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Arthur Kemish – Taylor Swift
Meesha Kosciolek – Martina McBride
Art Rich – Blake Shelton

PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Paula Erickson – Erickson Public Relations
Mary Hilliard Harrington – The GreenRoom
Ebie McFarland – Essential Broadcast Media, LLC

TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Rod Essig – Creative Artist Agency
Jay Williams – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC
Rob Beckham – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC

TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Louis Messina – The Messina Group
Brian O’Connell – Live Nation
Debra Rathwell – AEG Live

TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR
Dega Catering
TaDa! Catering
TourCats Catering

TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
David Cook – Taylor Swift – Keyboard
Robby Emerson – Jake Owen – Bass
Steve Sinatra – Hunter Hayes – Drums

VENUE OF THE YEAR
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.
Joe’s Bar – Chicago, Ill.
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.

TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
Olivier Goulet – Taylor Swift
Michael Tinsley – Taylor Swift