17th Annual Pollstar Awards Categories
The Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, hosted by Lewis Black for an unprecidented fourth year in a row, was held at The Theatre at Mandalay Bay on February 15, 2006.

signifies award recipient

Click on photos for larger image suitable for printing.
Photos by Rick Diamond, Jeffrey Mayer and from photo archives

1. Major Tour of the Year
Artist must have toured in 2005.
U2
Coldplay
Green Day
Kenny Chesney
Paul McCartney
Rolling Stones


2. Most Creative Tour Package
From both an artistic and financial perspective.
Tom Petty / The Black Crowes
Def Leppard / Bryan Adams
Foo Fighters / Weezer
Gwen Stefani / Black Eyed Peas
Taste of Chaos


3. Most Creative Stage Production
Artist with the most exciting visual stage production.
U2
Paul McCartney
Rolling Stones


4. Best New Touring Artist
Artist must have released a major label album and toured in 2005.
Arcade Fire
Fall Out Boy
John Legend
My Chemical Romance
Ray Lamontagne
Sugarland


5. Music Festival of the Year (non-touring)
Annual local event of a fixed duration.
Austin City Limits Music Festival (Austin, TX)
Bonnaroo Music Festival (Manchester, TN)
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Indio, CA)
Vegoose (Las Vegas, NV)


6. International Music Festival of the Year
Annual local event of a fixed duration. Outside of North America.
Glastonbury Festival (UK)
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival (Australia)
Fuji Rock Festival (Japan)
Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)
Reading Festival (UK)
Rock Werchter (Belgium)
V Festival (UK)


7. Nightclub of the Year
Club atmosphere regardless of seating configuration.
House of Blues (Chicago, IL)
9:30 Club (Washington, DC)
Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver, BC)
The Fillmore (San Francisco, CA)
Irving Plaza (New York, NY)
Stubb’s Bar-B-Q (Austin, TX)
The Wiltern LG (Los Angeles, CA)

8. Theatre of the Year
Indoor venue under 6,000 seats.
Radio City Music Hall (New York, NY)
Dodge Theatre (Phoenix, AZ)
Fox Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
Gibson Amphitheatre (Universal City, CA)
Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX)
Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN)

9. Best New Major Concert Venue
Opened or completed first year of operations in 2005.
Nokia Theatre Times Square (New York, NY)
Charlotte Bobcats Arena (Charlotte, NC)
Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island (Chicago, IL)
Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR)
Qwest Center Omaha (Omaha, NE)
Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, IA)

10. Red Rocks Award for Small Outdoor Venue
(Under 10,000 Seats) Amphitheatre or festival concert site.
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Chastain Park Amphitheatre (Atlanta, GA)
Filene Center at Wolf Trap (Vienna, VA)
Mountain Winery (Saratoga, CA)
Santa Barbara Bowl (Santa Barbara, CA)

11. Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue
(Over 10,000 Seats) Amphitheatre or festival concert site.
Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, CA)
The Gorge (Quincy, WA)
Jones Beach Theater (Wantagh, NY)
Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia, MD)
Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts (Mansfield, MA)

12. Arena of the Year
Indoor venue over 6,000 seats.
Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, FL)
Arena at Gwinnett Center (Gwinnett, GA)
HP Pavilion at San Jose (San Jose, CA)
Philips Arena (Atlanta, GA)
Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, MN)


13. International Small Venue of the Year
(Under 8,000 seats) Outside of North America.
Royal Albert Hall (London, UK)
Heineken Music Hall (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
The Point (Dublin, Ireland)
Shepherds Bush Empire (London, UK)


14. International Large Venue of the Year
(Over 8,000 seats) Outside of North America.
Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR)
Auditorio Nacional (Mexico City, Mexico)
Manchester Evening News Arena (Manchester, UK)
Odyssey Arena (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Sydney SuperDome (Sydney, Australia)
Wembley Arena Pavilion (London, UK)

15. Nightclub Talent Buyer of the Year
Individual who buys exclusively for one or more clubs.
Michael Yerke (House of Blues, Chicago, IL)
Allen Scott (The Independent, The Grand, CA)
Geoff Gordon (TLA, Electric Factory, Tower, PA)
John Moore (Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall, NY)
Sam Kinken (Irving Plaza, NY)
Toffer Christensen (B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, NY)

16. Independent Promoter of the Year
Local / Regional promotion company not affiliated with a major company.
Another Planet Entertainment (Berkeley, CA)
Beaver Productions (Dallas, TX / Memphis, TN)
Charles Attal Presents (Austin, TX)
Fantasma Productions (W. Palm Beach, FL)
I.M.P. (Washington, DC)
Jam Productions (Chicago, IL)
Outback Concerts (Nashville, TN)
Police Productions (St. Charles, MO)

17. Talent Buyer of the Year
Individual who buys for venues which they own or operate.
Bob Shea (House of Blues Concerts Los Angeles)
Brent Fedrizzi (Chuck Morris Presents)
Eric Herz (Bill Silva Presents)
Jim Glancy (Ron Delsener Presents)
Mike Krebs (Nederlander of California)
Neil Jacobsen (Electric Factory Concerts)
Riley O’Connor (House of Blues Concerts Canada)

18. Facility Executive of the Year
All facility managers are eligible.
Laurie Jacoby (Radio City / Madison Square Garden, NY)
Allen Johnson (Orlando Centroplex, FL)
John Page (Wachovia Center, PA)
Marty Bechtold (Charlotte Bobcats Arena, NC)
Mike Evans (SMG, PA)
Ralph Marchetta (America West Arena, AZ)
Steve Kirsner (HP Pavilion at San Jose, CA)

19. Bill Graham Award for Promoter of the Year
Individual who promotes clubs, theatres and arenas.
Charles Attal (Charles Attal Presents)
Don Fox (Beaver Productions)
Gregg Perloff (Another Planet Entertainment)
Louis Messina (The Messina Group)
Michael Smardak (Outback Concerts)
Seth Hurwitz (I.M.P.)

20. International Promoter of the Year
Award is made to the company. Outside of North America.
Clear Channel Entertainment (UK)
Big Concerts (South Africa)
Creative Man Productions (Japan)
Michael Chugg Entertainment (Australia)
Mojo Concerts (Netherlands)
O.C.E.S.A. (Mexico / South America)
SJM Ltd. (UK)

21. Booking Agency of the Year
Large agency; generally five agents or more.
Creative Artists Agency
The Agency Group
Monterey Peninsula Artists / Paradigm
William Morris Agency

22. Boutique Booking Agency of the Year
Small agency; generally four agents or less.
Little Big Man Booking
Ellis Industries
High Road Touring
The M.O.B. Agency
Monterey International
Partisan Arts
Pinnacle Entertainment

23. International Booking Agency of the Year
Agencies with exclusive international rosters.
The Agency Group
Asgard
Helter Skelter
International Talent Booking
X-Ray Touring

24. Third Coast Booking Agent of the Year
Individual Nashville-based booking agents only.
Rod Essig (CAA)
Buck Williams (Progressive Global Agency)
Darin Murphy (CAA)
Keith Miller (William Morris)
Rob Beckham (William Morris)
Scott Clayton (CAA)
Steve Lassiter (APA)

25. Bobby Brooks Award for Agent of the Year
All individual booking agents are eligible.
Tom Chauncey (Partisan Arts)
Cara Lewis (William Morris)
Chip Hooper (Monterey Peninsula Artists / Paradigm)
David Zedeck (CAA)
Don Muller (CAA)
John Branigan (William Morris)
Marty Diamond (Little Big Man)
Rick Roskin (CAA)

26. Personal Manager of the Year
Include the manager’s name and the artist(s) involved.
Pat Magnarella (Green Day)
Clint Higham (Kenny Chesney)
Coran Capshaw (Dave Matthews Band)
Dave Holmes (Coldplay, Rilo Kiley)
Gary Borman (Keith Urban, James Taylor)
Jim Guerinot (Nine Inch Nails, Gwen Stefani)
Ken Levitan (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kings of Leon)
Paul McGuinness (U2, PJ Harvey)

27. Artist Development Executive of the Year
Record label exec who has most impacted the concert business.
Harvey Leeds (Epic)
Diarmuid Quinn (Warner Bros.)
Harlan Frey (Roadrunner)
Liana Farnham (Columbia)

28. Road Warrior of the Year
For tour personnel. Include name and the tour(s) involved.
Jake Berry (U2)
Andy Franks (Coldplay, Depeche Mode)
Dale “Opie” Skjerseth (Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne)
Ed Wannabo (Kenny Chesney)
George Travis (Bruce Springsteen)
John Vanderslice (Carole King, Jimmy Buffett)
Maryjo Spillane (Dolly Parton, Sounds of Underground)

29. Lighting Company of the Year
Stage lighting equipment company.
Bandit Lites
Ed & Ted’s Excellent Lighting
PRG


30. Sound Company of the Year
Sound equipment company.
Clair Bros./ Showco
Audio Analysts
Eighth Day Sound
Sound Image


31. Staging or Equipment Company of the Year
Excludes lights, sound and video.
Stageco
Accurate Staging
All Access Staging & Productions
Brown United
Mountain Productions
Studio Instrument Rentals
Tait Towers


32. Transportation Company of the Year
Air. ground or freight transportation.
Rock-It Cargo
Roadshow Services
Upstaging


33. Video Company of the Year
Video projection for tours.
Screenworks
Moo TV
Nocturne Productions
XL Video

Congratulations to all the nominees and recipients!