Voting Opens for 34th Annual Pollstar Awards: Everything You Need To Know

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While we’re all probably a little relieved to have election season behind us, another one – for recipients of the 34th Pollstar Awards in February – is now upon Pollstar subscribers. And it should be a lot less stressful and a lot more fun.

Nominees for the annual awards, which will be announced during the Pollstar Live! Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, Feb. 21-23, have been revealed in more than 45 categories among the concert industry’s top tours, artists, venues, executives, support companies and more.

Among them are the traditional, including Bobby Brooks Award for Agent of the Year and Bill Graham Award for Promoter of the Year; and the irreverent, like the awards for “Best Hang” and “Life of the Party.”

As in past years, a select committee of concert industry and entertainment professionals came together to consider and then winnow down the largest list of nominees in Pollstar history – more than double the number of nominations than in past years.

Subscribers should watch their email inboxes for a link to a Survey Monkey ballot – each unique invitation is tied to each email address, so no sharing. Voting begins Friday, Nov. 11 and runs through Friday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. PST. If you expect to receive a ballot and don’t by the opening of the voting period, please be sure to check your spam folder.

Still not seeing it? Please contact [email protected].

Longtime attendees and voters may notice important changes in top categories – for example, in the Major Tour and Rock Tour of the Year categories, only two nominees can be considered to have been superstars at the peak of the Classic Rock era.

Not that long ago, many of us were asking who was going to fill those arenas and stadiums once those artists left the scene.

Fortunately, some like The Rolling Stones and Elton John continue to mount blockbuster tours. But those stadiums and arenas are being filled by relative newcomers across genres like Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Morgan Wallen and The Killers, and we are here for it.

Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” joins Bad Bunny’s “World’s Hottest Tour,” Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour,” Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe’s “The Stadium Tour,” Harry Styles’ “Love On Tour,” and Morgan Wallen’s “The Dangerous Tour” for Major Tour of the Year. The category is more multi-genre than ever.

The Latin Tour of the Year category deserves special notice in 2022, as the genre continues to explode on a global scale. The year saw massive outings from artists including Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee (on what the reggaeton star says will be his final tour), Grupo Firme, Karol G, Pepe Aguilar and Rosalía all conquering stadiums and arenas and earning nominations.

Given the last few years marked by pandemic, economic and political chaos, comedy has provided the masses with relief in what’s considered a new “golden era” and is reflected by nominated tours by Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Gabriel Iglesias, John Mulaney, Kevin Hart and Sebastian Maniscalco.

None of these tours happen, of course, without the hard work of those behind the scenes – the agents, managers, promoters, talent buyers, marketers, production teams and venue professionals that bring these amazing talents to stages of all sizes and locations.

Whether you’re a talent buyer for the best 300-capacity room in the country or arranging transportation for the biggest tours traversing the globe, there’s an area in which your specialized knowledge makes your vote vitally important for you and your peers.

Those stages are global, and so are the Pollstar Awards – it’s vitally important that whether you’re located in Minneapolis or Mumbai, there are categories that call for everyone’s specialized interest and benefit from your two cents – or pence – worth. International awards will also recognize Music Festival, Venue, Promoter, and Booking Agent of the Year.

So please watch your inbox for your ballot link and make your selections before Dec. 9. Spread the word, lobby your colleagues for their support, and plan to get together to see who wins during the Pollstar Awards show, part of the Pollstar Live! conference Feb. 21-23.

POLLSTAR SALUTES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 34TH ANNUAL POLLSTAR AWARDS!

Major Tour of the Year
Bad Bunny, World’s Hottest Tour
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour
Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe, The Stadium Tour
Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Harry Styles, Love on Tour
Morgan Wallen, The Dangerous Tour

Rock Tour of the Year
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour
Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe, The Stadium Tour
Rage Against the Machine, Public Service Announcement Tour
Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Global Stadium Tour
Rolling Stones, Stones Sixty 2022
The Killers, Imploding the Mirage Tour

Hip-Hop Tour of the Year
Jack Harlow, Come Home The Kids Miss You Tour
Kendrick Lamar, The Big Steppers Tour
Post Malone, Twelve Carat Tour
Snoop Dogg / Ice Cube / Too Short / E-40, Mount Westmore
Tyler, the Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost Tour
Wu Tang, Nas & Busta Rhymes, NY State of Mind Tour

R&B Tour of the Year
Alicia Keys, Alicia + Keys World Tour
Kehlani, Blue Water Road Trip Tour
Lizzo, The Special Tour
Mary J Blige, Good Morning Gorgeous Tour
New Edition, The Culture Tour
The Weeknd, After Hours Til Dawn Tour

Pop Tour of the Year
Backstreet Boys, DNA World Tour
Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever, The World Tour
Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia Tour
Ed Sheeran, +-=÷x Tour
Harry Styles, Love On Tour
Lady Gaga, The Chromatica Ball

Country Tour of the Year
Alan Jackson, Last Call Tour
Chris Stapleton, All-American Road Show Tour
Eric Church, The Gather Again Tour
Kacey Musgraves, Star-Crossed: Unveiled
Kenny Chesney, Here and Now Tour
Luke Combs, The Middle of Somewhere Tour
Morgan Wallen, The Dangerous Tour

Latin Tour of the Year
Bad Bunny, World’s Hottest Tour
Daddy Yankee, La Última Vuelta World Tour
Grupo Firme, Enfiestados y Amanecidas Tour
Karol G, $trip Love Tour
Pepe Aguilar, Jaripeo Sin Fronteras Tour 2022
Rosalía, Motomami Tour

Comedy Tour of the Year
Chris Rock, Ego Death Tour
Dave Chapelle
Gabriel Iglesias, Back On Tour
John Mulaney, From Scratch Tour
Kevin Hart, Reality Check Tour
Sebastian Maniscalco, Nobody Does This Tour

Support/Special Guest Act of the Year
Cody Johnson / Luke Combs
Hardy / Morgan Wallen
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts / Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard
Latto / Lizzo
Old Dominion / Kenny Chesney
Run the Jewels / Rage Against the Machine

Residency of the Year
Adele, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Aerosmith, Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas
Billy Joel, Madison Square Garden, New York
Harry Styles, Madison Square Garden, New York
Silk Sonic, Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas
Usher, Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas

Family, Event or Non-Music Tour of the Year
Blippi the Musical
Disney Junior Live Costume Palooza
Disney on Ice
Dude Perfect
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks
Professional Bull Riding

New Headliner of the Year
Dua Lipa
Karol G
Morgan Wallen
Olivia Rodrigo
Rosalía
Zach Bryan

Music Festival of The Year (Global; over 30K attendance)
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin, TX
BottleRock Napa Valley, Napa, CA
Coachella, Indio, CA
Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom
Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL
Stagecoach, Indio, CA

Music Festival of The Year (Global; under 30K attendance)
All Things Go Music Festival, Columbia, MD
FORMAT, Bentonville, AR
Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI
Ohana Festival, Dana Point, CA
Portola Music Festival, San Francisco, CA
Sound On Sound Music Festival, Bridgeport, CT

International Music Festival of The Year
BOOM Festival, Portugal
BST Hyde Park, United Kingdom
Byron Bay Bluesfest, Australia
Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom
Lollapalooza, Brazil
Primavera Sound, Spain

Nightclub of the Year
9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY
Exit/In, Nashville, TN
First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Stubb’s BBQ, Austin, TX

Theatre of the Year
Arizona Financial Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
Hard Rock Live Hollywood, Hollywood, FL
Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
YouTube Theater, Inglewood, CA

Arena of the Year
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Moody Center, Austin, TX

Red Rocks Award – Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year
Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Moody Amphitheater, Austin, TX
The Gorge, George, WA

New Concert Venue of the Year
Hard Rock Live Sacramento, Wheatland, CA
Moody Amphitheater, Austin, TX
Moody Center, Austin, TX
The Orion Amphitheater, Huntsville, AL
Roadrunner, Boston, MA
UBS Arena, Belmont Park, NY

International Venue of the Year
Movistar Arena, Colombia
The O2, United Kingdom
Royal Albert Hall, United Kingdom
Scotiabank Arena, Canada
Wembley Stadium, United Kingdom
WiZink Center, Spain
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam

Venue Executive of the Year
Christy Castillo Butcher, SoFi Stadium/YouTube Theater
David Kells, Bridgestone Arena
Geni Lincoln, Kia Forum
Jeff Nickler, Moody Center
Josephine Vaccarello, Madison Square Garden
Keith Sheldon, Hard Rock International
Laurie Jacoby, Barclays Center

Talent Buyer of the Year
Amy Corbin, C3 Presents
Bryan Benson, Live Nation
Del Williams, Danny Wimmer Presents
Jenn Yacoubian, Goldenvoice
Katie Brogan, AEG Presents Northwest
Stacie George, Live Nation

Small Venue Talent Buyer of the Year
Bobby Clay, C3 Presents
Bobby Rossi, Ruth Eckerd Hall Presents
Donna Busch, Goldenvoice
Molly Warren, Live Nation
Sonia Grover, First Avenue
Warda Baig, Live Nation

Bill Graham Award / Promoter of the Year
Don Strasburg, AEG Presents Rocky Mountains
Lesley Olenik, Live Nation
Louis Messina, Messina Touring Group
Mike Smardak, Outback Presents
Omar Al-joulani, Live Nation
Rick Franks, Live Nation

International Promoter of the Year
Anna-Sophie Mertens, Live Nation UK
Arthur Fogel, Live Nation
Barrie Marshall, Marshall Arts
Huston Powell, C3 Presents
Jim King, AEG Presents
Simon Moran, SJM Concerts

Bobby Brooks Award – Agent of the Year
Adam Kornfeld, Artist Group International
Frank Riley, High Road Touring
Jbeau Lewis, UTA
Jenna Adler, CAA
Kirk Sommer, WME
Marty Diamond, Wasserman Music

International Booking Agent of the Year
Alex Hardee, Wasserman Music
Emma Banks, CAA
Josh Javor, X-ray Touring
Lucy Dickins, WME
Mike Greek, CAA
Paul Ryan, UTA
Rod MacSween, International Talent Booking

Booking Agency of the Year
Artist Group International
CAA
High Road Touring
UTA
Wasserman Music
WME

Independent Booking Agency of the Year (Global)
Day After Day Productions
High Road Touring
Madison House
Reliant Talent Agency
Sound Talent Group
TBA Agency

Rising Star Award
Austin Neal, The Neal Agency
Callender, Wasserman Music
Carlos Abreu, UTA
Jenny Heifetz, AEG Presents
Trevor Chesler, Rupp Arena
Warda Baig, Live Nation

Personal Manager of the Year
Adam Foley, Red Light Management
Bill Orner, Hank & Ed Management
Coran Capshaw, Red Light Management
Irving Azoff, The Azoff Company
Jeffrey Azoff, Full Stop Management
John Silva, Silva Artist Management

Road Warrior of the Year
Chris Kansy / Tool, Roger Waters
Dale “Opie” Skjerseth / The Rolling Stones, Guns ‘N Roses
Eric Piontkowski / Harry Styles
Gus Brandt / Foo Fighters
Jerome Crooks / Tool, NIN
Marc Robbins / Eagles
Narci Martinez / Red Hot Chili Peppers

Transportation Company of the Year
Hemphill Brothers Coach
Pioneer Coach
Roadshow
Rock-It Cargo
SOS Global Express
Upstaging

Concert Visuals Company of the Year
340 Productions
Bandit Lites
Moo TV
PRG
Screenworks
Upstaging

Concert Sound Company of the Year
Clair Global
Creative Audio
Eighth Day Sound
SE Systems
Sound Image

WhizBang Award
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour
Ed Sheeran, +-=÷x Tour
Phish
Rammstein, Stadium Tour 2022
Roger Waters, This is Not a Drill Tour
Twenty One Pilots, The Icy Tour

Thank You, Can I Have Another? Award
Arizona Catering
Austin City Limits
DEGA Catering
Eat To The Beat
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Tada Catering

Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year
Cash App / Kendrick Lamar
Citi / Billy Joel
Corona / Bad Bunny
Everytown for Gun Safety / Harry Styles
HeadCount/ Lizzo
Liquid Death / Live Nation

Marketing/PR Executive of the Year
Allison McGregor, CAA
Carrie Samek, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Eddie Clemens, UTA
Kate McMahon, Messina Touring Group
Michele Bernstein, Michi B
Sam Alpert, Wasserman Music

Best Hang
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin,TX
Coachella, Indio, CA
City National Bank Forum Club, Inglewood, CA
Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL
Moody Center, Austin, TX
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

The Irving Azoff Award: Best Person to Score a Dinner With
Arthur Fogel, Live Nation
Bob Roux, Live Nation
Dennis Arfa, Artist Group International
Gerry Barad, Live Nation
Michael Rapino, Live Nation
Tim Leiweke, Oak View Group

Life of the Party
Amy Corbin, C3 Presents
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation
Lee Anderson, Wasserman Music
Louis Messina, Messina Touring Group
Ron Delsener, Live Nation
Samantha Kirby Yoh, UTA

The Per Cap Award
Bad Bunny
Harry Styles
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Tool
Tyler, the Creator

The Dayum! Award
Bad Bunny, World’s Hottest Tour
Karol G, $trip Love Tour
Koe Wetzel, Live in Concert
Morgan Wallen, Dangerous Tour
REO Speedwagon & Styx, Live & Unzoomed Tour
The Lumineers, The Brightside World Tour

Live Music is Better Award
Brandi Carlile, Beyond These Silent Days Tour
Chris Stapleton, Kentucky Rising
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour
Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins Tribute at the Kia Forum
Harry Styles, Love On Tour
Pearl Jam, Gigaton Tour