CMA Touring Awards Nominees Announced: Full List

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.

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 Band

Melvin “Melvis” Fults – Kenny Chesney

Carlos Gutierrez – Dierks Bentley

Jason Herndon – Blake Shelton

Joel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas Rhett

Jeremiah Langdon – Jelly Roll

Chris Miller – Keith Urban

Zach 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, LLC

Caleb See – Curo Financial, LLC

Michael Vaden – Vaden Group/Elliott Davis

Kris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC

Coach/truck driver of the year

Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown Band

Josh Easter – Morgan Wallen

Rhett Evens – Thomas Rhett

Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan

Justin Pullin – Old Dominion

Erin Siegfried – Lainey Wilson

Chris Simms – Jelly Roll

Wayne “Wayno” Sullivan – Blake Shelton/Keith Urban

FOH (front of house) engineer of the year

Brendan Hines – Jelly Roll

Aaron Lain – Morgan Wallen

Todd Lewis – Luke Combs

Ben Rigby – Eric Church

Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton

Trey Smith – Thomas Rhett

Ian Zorbaugh – Old Dominion

Lighting director of the year

Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen

Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney

Kevin Lichty – Old Dominion

Mac Mosier – Chris Stapleton

Kevin Northrup – Luke Combs

Taylor Price – Miranda Lambert

Austin Strain – Jelly Roll

Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett

Manager of the year

Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment

Virginia Bunetta – G-Major Management

Martha Earls – Neon Coast

Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment

Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management

Marion Kraft – ShopKeeper Management

Mandelyn Monchick – Red Light Management

John Peets – Q Prime South

Monitor engineer of the year

Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny Chesney

Mark Davis – Jelly Roll

Logan Hanna – Brothers Osborne

Andy Hill – Zac Brown Band

Nathan Lowe – Eric Church

Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas Rhett

Dean Studebaker – Old Dominion

Scott Tatter – Dierks Bentley

Production manager of the year

Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton

John Garriott – Chris Stapleton

Meesha Kosciolek – Eric Church

Erik Leighty – Miranda Lambert

Chris Nathan – Jake Owen

Earl Neal – Jason Aldean

Kevin Twist – Thomas Rhett

Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney

Publicist of the year

Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media

Paul Freundlich – PFA Media

Quinn Kaemmer – Big Machine Label Group

Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PR

Carla Sacks – Sacks & Co.

Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Public Relations

Wes Vause – Press On Publicity

Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity

Stage manager of the year

Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric Church

Donnie Floyd – Morgan Wallen

Todd Green – Chris Stapleton

Matt Hornbeck – Luke Combs

Josh “Dude” Marcus – Jason Aldean

Tom Nisun – Kenny Chesney

Richard Rossey – Old Dominion

Justin Sumrall – Thomas Rhett

Support services company of the year

4 Wall Entertainment

Clair Global

Dega Catering

Master Tour by Eventric

Moo TV

Richards & Southern

Talent agent of the year

Meredith Jones – CAA

Joey Lee – WME

Jonathan Levine – Wasserman Music

Darin Murphy – CAA

Adi Sharma – The Neal Agency

Aaron Tannenbaum – WME

Elisa Vazzana – UTA

Jay Williams – WME

Talent buyer/promoter of the year

Bradley Jordan – Peachtree Entertainment

Patrick McDill – Live Nation Nashville

Louis Messina – The Messina Group

Rich Schaefer – AEG Presents

Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville

Ed Warm – Joe’s Concerts

Adam Weiser – AEG Presents

Tour manager of the year

Matt Anderson – Old Dominion

Jason Hecht – Chris Stapleton

Luke Holton – Brothers Osborne

Chuck Hull – Keith Urban

Meg Miller – Lainey Wilson

Ethan Strunk – Luke Combs

Chris Thacker – Dierks Bentley

Jon Townley – Thomas Rhett

Touring musician of the year

Rob Byus (Bass Guitar) – Blake Shelton

Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar) – Chris Stapleton/Vince Gill

Ben Helson (Guitar) – Dierks Bentley

Lee Hendricks (Bass Guitar) – Eric Church

Harmoni Kelley (Bass Guitar) – Kenny Chesney

Chris Kimmerer (Drums) – Thomas Rhett

Danny Mitchell (Piano) – Miranda Lambert

Kurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs

Tour videographer/photographer of the year

Mason Allen – Old Dominion

Andy Barron – Chris Stapleton

Zach Belcher – Dierks Bentley

David Bergman – Luke Combs

CeCe Dawson – Lainey Wilson

Tanner Gallagher – HARDY

Grayson Gregory – Thomas Rhett

Andy Pollitt – Jelly Roll

Tour video director of the year

Josh Clark – Miranda Lambert

Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney

Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley

Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton

Nate Fountain – Zach Bryan/Blake Shelton

Chris Jones – Jelly Roll

Ricky Krohne – Thomas Rhett

Michael Todd “M.T.” Stembridge – Eric Church

Venue of the year

Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN

BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH

Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

Choctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OK

Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN

Joe’s on Weed Street – Chicago, IL

Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK

Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

Unsung hero of the year

Dallas Bowsier – Eric Church

Josh Castle – Dierks Bentley

RJ Estrella – Luke Combs

Kayla Carter Greear – Luke Bryan

Kelsey Maynard – Old Dominion

Todd Molle – Jake Owen

Mel Murphy – Live Nation Nashville

Tyler Rhodes – Thomas Rhett