CMA Announces Nominees For 2025 CMA Touring Awards Presented By Strauss

THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES NOMINEES
FOR THE 2025 CMA TOURING AWARDS PRESENTED BY STRAUSS

Top Touring Professionals in Country Music Recognized for Excellence, Including CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Jim Halsey

Country Superstar Keith Urban Hosts Industry Celebration on
Tuesday, January 27 in Nashville

Final Round Voting for 2025 CMA Touring Awards Opens Monday, Dec. 16

The Country Music Association has announced nominees for the 2025 CMA Touring Awards presented by STRAUSS, which highlights vital behind-the-scenes members of the Country Music touring industry. Final Round voting for the 2025 CMA Touring Awards opens Monday, Dec. 1 and closes Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6pm CT. The 20^th celebration of the CMA Touring Awards will be hosted by Country superstar Keith Urban, returning for the fourth year in a row, and will take place Tuesday, January 27 in Nashville.

Jim Halsey, veteran artist manager, will be honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years. It honors an individual that has proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on Country Music fans and the industry alike, and whose presence will have a long-term positive impact on Country Music and CMA for generations to come.

For more than 60 years, Jim Halsey has been a pioneering force in the music industry, guiding the careers of iconic artists such as Roy Clark, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, The Oak Ridge Boys, and many others. Known for expanding the international reach of Country Music, Halsey’s artists performed at legendary venues like Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and Royal Albert Hall. His visionary efforts helped elevate Country Music to a global stage, shaping the future of the industry through groundbreaking live performances and strategic global tours.

“Recognizing the incredible work of our touring community is one of the highlights of our year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Our road warriors are the heart and soul of our business, bringing their spirit to audiences everywhere with creativity and passion. The growth of Country Music would not be possible without the dedication of each of our nominees, and we can’t wait to celebrate their achievements in January.”

“I love touring, always have, always will,” says Urban. “And that only happens with so many people behind the scenes out there on the road making it happen every night. The CMA Touring Awards is where we turn the spotlight on our road families and celebrate the hard work they all do for all of us. It’s an honor to host, and I’m glad to be back.”

Workwear leader STRAUSS proudly joins the 2025 CMA Touring Awards as the presenting sponsor and Official Workwear Partner. With purpose-built gear that’s tuned to work, STRAUSS supports the skilled and tireless production crews behind the scenes of the biggest Country Music tours in the world. As a first-time partner, STRAUSS looks forward to celebrating the hard work of those who bring live music to stages across the globe.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of the 20th anniversary of the CMA Touring Awards,” says Henning Strauss, CEO of STRAUSS. “The work ethic that drives the unsung heroes who build, lift, and tune the great shows Country Music is famous for is exactly what our workwear celebrates. We know that great gigs start with great work, and this work deserves to be recognized on centerstage.”

All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of Deloitte’s legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

 

CATEGORY 1 – CREW OF THE YEAR

• “All-American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton
• “Am I Okay? Tour” Crew – Megan Moroney
• “Broken Branches Tour” Crew – Dierks Bentley
• “I’m The Problem Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen
• “Jim Bob World Tour” Crew – HARDY
• “Live On Tour” Crew – Kelsea Ballerini
• “On The Road Tour” Crew – Tyler Childers
• “Whirlwind World Tour” Crew – Lainey Wilson

 

CATEGORY 2 – BACKLINE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR

• Patrick Boyle – Tyler Childers
• Dalton Ray Brown – Lainey Wilson
• William Coats – Eric Church
• Casey Ervin – Jelly Roll
• Terry Fox – Kenny Chesney
• Matt Kennedy – Morgan Wallen
• Hunter Lamb – HARDY
• Chris Miller – Keith Urban

 

CATEGORY 3 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR

• Stephanie Alderman – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC
• Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.
• Legina Chaudoin – O’Neil Hagaman, LLC
• Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
• Jen Conger – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
• Stephanie Mundy-Self – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC
• Kris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC
• Dwight Wiles – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC

 

CATEGORY 4 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR

• Chad Allison – HARDY
• Tim Barrett – Kane Brown
• Dustin Bringham – Parker McCollum
• Steve Carmack – Megan Moroney
• Greg Cook – Riley Green
• Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
• Jason Humphrey – Jason Aldean
• Nick Wagner – Morgan Wallen

 

CATEGORY 5 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

• Ryan Dell – Lainey Wilson
• Chris Diener – Kelsea Ballerini
• David Loy – Kane Brown
• James “Pugs” McDermott – Dierks Bentley
• Jeff “Pig” Parsons – Blake Shelton
• Robert Scovill – Kenny Chesney
• Todd Wines – Miranda Lambert
• Ian Zorbaugh – Old Dominion

 

CATEGORY 6 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Ben Bearden – Chris Stapleton
• Nick Chang – Kelsea Ballerini
• Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen
• Justin Kitchenman – Luke Bryan
• Andy Knighton – Rascal Flatts/Jason Aldean
• Kevin Lichty – Old Dominion
• Alex Sanchez – Parker McCollum
• Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett

 

CATEGORY 7 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR

• Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment
• Hayley Corbett – PunchBowl Entertainment
• Enzo DeVincenzo – 377 Management
• Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment
• Troy “Tracker” Johnson – TRACK Management
• Chris Kappy – Make Wake Artists
• Mandelyn Monchick – Red Light Management
• Zach Sutton – Red Light Management

 

CATEGORY 8 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

• Beau Alexander – Morgan Wallen
• Curt Armstead – Lainey Wilson
• Brad Baisley – Blake Shelton
• Cory Benson – Tyler Childers
• Chris Daniels – Luke Bryan
• Logan Hanna – Brothers Osborne
• Chris Newsom – Kelsea Ballerini
• Phil Wilkey – Keith Urban

 

CATEGORY 9 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR

• Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton
• John Garriott – Chris Stapleton
• Jeff “Goofy” Greeninger – Jon Pardi
• Adam Groeninger – Dierks Bentley
• Chad Guy – Morgan Wallen
• Brent Maxon – Parker McCollum
• Earl Neal – Jason Aldean
• Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney

 

CATEGORY 10 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR

• Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media
• Zach Farnum – 117 Entertainment Group
• Asha Goodman – Sacks & Co.
• Olivia Hanceri – OH Creative
• Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom
• Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Relations
• Wes Vause – Press On Publicity
• Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity

 

CATEGORY 11 – STAGE MANAGER OF THE YEAR

• Shaun Carswell – Dierks Bentley
• Alex Church – Megan Moroney
• Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric Church
• Todd Green – Chris Stapleton
• Matt Hornbeck – Luke Combs
• Josh “Dude” Marcus – Jason Aldean
• Allison Noah – Carly Pearce / Lainey Wilson
• Lonnie Taylor – Jon Pardi

 

CATEGORY 12 – SUPPORT SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR

• ASCOT Travel Services – Nashville, TN
• Bandit Lites – Nashville, TN
• Clair Global – Nashville, TN
• Crom Tidwell Merchandising – Nashville, TN
• Moo TV – Nashville, TN
• Pioneer Coach – Nashville, TN
• Richards & Southern – Goodlettsville, TN
• Sound Image – Nashville, TN

 

CATEGORY 13 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR

• Becky Gardenhire – WME
• Chad Kudelka – CAA
• Keith Levy – Wasserman Music
• Braeden Rountree – WME
• Adi Sharma – The Neal Agency
• Elisa Vazzana – UTA
• Hunter Williams – CAA
• Jay Williams – WME

 

CATEGORY 14 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

• Bridget Bauer – Messina Touring Group
• Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
• Patrick McDill – Live Nation Nashville
• Brian O’Connell – Live Nation Nashville
• Rich Schaefer – AEG Presents
• Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville
• Stacy Vee – Goldenvoice
• Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar

 

CATEGORY 15 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR

• Matt Anderson – Old Dominion
• Kyle Crownover – Tyler Childers
• Dustin DeRosier – Kelsea Ballerini / Little Big Town
• Jeff Gossett – Morgan Wallen
• Mike McGrath – Keith Urban
• Meg Miller – Lainey Wilson
• Mark Oglesby – Post Malone
• Chelsae Partosan – Megan Moroney

 

CATEGORY 16 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

• Mark “Taco” Annino (Drums) – Morgan Wallen
• Jody Bartula (Fiddle) – Cody Johnson
• JT Cure (Bass Guitar) – Chris Stapleton
• Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle) – George Strait
• Aslan Freeman (Guitar) – Lainey Wilson
• Kenny Greenberg (Guitar) – Kenny Chesney
• Kurt Ozan (Multi-Instrumentalist) – Luke Combs
• Jesse Wells (Multi-Instrumentalist) – Tyler Childers

 

CATEGORY 17 – TOUR VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

• Mason Allen – Old Dominion
• Alex Alvga – Kane Brown
• Zach Belcher – Dierks Bentley
• Caleb Cockrell – Jordan Davis
• Sam Crabtree – Riley Green
• Tanner Gallagher – HARDY
• Zack Massey – Luke Combs
• Catherine Powell – Kelsea Ballerini

 

CATEGORY 18 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Dave Bergfeld – Lainey Wilson
• Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley
• Adam Cline – Morgan Wallen
• Milojko Dobrijevich – Little Big Town
• Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton
• Jordan Karow – HARDY
• Justin Stein – Parker McCollum
• Jake Zobrist – Cody Johnson

 

CATEGORY 19 – VENUE OF THE YEAR

• BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
• Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
• Fenway Park – Boston, MA
• Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
• Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
• Moody Center – Austin, TX
• The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

 

CATEGORY 20 – UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR

• Holly Atherton (Production Assistant) – Chris Stapleton
• Chase Butler (Road Manager) – Riley Green
• Michael Corcoran (General Manager) – mtheory
• Kayla Carter Greear (Production Assistant) – Luke Bryan
• Jeff “Bean” Griffin (Road Manager) – HARDY
• Lolo Kinser (Logistics Coordinator) – Post Malone
• Diana “Lemonade” McBride (Backstage Hospitality) – Grand Ole Opry
• Mel Murphy (Road Representative) – Live Nation Nashville

 

About the CMA Touring Awards

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 has grown over the years now settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.

About the Country Music Association

Founded in 1958, CMA is the premier trade association of the Country Music industry. Representing professionals making a living in Country Music globally, the organization serves as a critical resource of support and information, honors excellence in the genre and provides a forum for industry leadership. CMA is dedicated to expanding Country Music around the world through a number of core programs and initiatives including the organization’s three annual television properties—the CMA Awards, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas,” all of which air on ABC. The organization’s philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, works tirelessly to provide equitable access to music education in order to create impactful change for students and teachers across the United States.

About STRAUSS

Engelbert Strauss, or simply STRAUSS, is a global leader in workwear design and manufacturing. Founded in 1948, the family-owned company is overseen by brothers Henning and Steffen Strauss, the third generation of the Strauss family. Its iconic ostrich logo reflects the family’s name and roots – Strauss means ostrich in German. The Ostrich is trusted by tradespeople, builders, farmers, and DIYers across the globe for its pioneering style of technical, multi-pocket workwear that melds performance and function with comfort and design. Now firmly established in the U.S., STRAUSS ships nationwide, operates a flagship store in Venice, California, and maintains a strong presence at trade shows across the country. For more, visit STRAUSS.com.