Features
Concert Industry Award Winners 2007
Tim McGraw/Faith Hill, Jam Productions, Panic! At The Disco, and Madonna were just some of the big winners at the 18th annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk February 8th.
As promised, host Lisa Lampanelli tore the audience a new one and even some of the bigwigs of the concert industry took some licks. One agent (an arbitrary choice) was "so hated" that, on his MySpace page, even Tom won’t be his friend. Live Nation was about to "annex Poland" and some dude from Pollstar who was unfortunate enough to be sitting in the front was accused of being very friendly to goats.
Lampanelli’s off to a good start: the last CIA host, Lewis Black, won a Grammy three nights later for his standup album.
Creative Artists Agency took the Booking Agency of the Year award for the fifth consecutive time. Music chief Rob Light, with the staff behind him, (described as Satan’s Army by Carlos Mencia) accepted the award for the team. Little Big Man Booking / Paradigm won Boutique Agency of the Year for its fifth straight year as well.
Personal manager of the year went to Bob McLynn, who handles Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco. Fall Out Boy, which was in Los Angeles for the Jimmy Kimmel late night show, surprised its manager with the award. Panic! also took home the award for best new touring artist.
Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell took home the Bill Graham Award, and Jam Productions was voted Independent Promoter of the Year. Jam’s irrepressible Arny Granat reminded the crowd that they were in a great business and to not be so "f**king grumpy."
Talent Buyer of the Year went to Susan Rosenbluth of AEG Live. Neil Warnock won U.K. Booking Agent of the Year, adding that his Agency Group is now too far-flung to be considered just an international agency.
Carlos Mencia announced the Booking Agent of the Year award and the winner of the Lighting Company of the Year, but not before going on a 10-minute hysterical rant on sound, lighting, CAA and – for some reason – the sex life of his parents. Marc Geiger from the William Morris Agency took home the Bobby Brooks Award for booking agent of the year.
For the first time ever, Third Coast Agent of the Year went to Monterey Peninsula Artists / Paradigm’s Brian Hill, who reps Jack Ingram, Reckless Kelly and G.B. Leighton, among others.
Nightclub Talent Buyer of the Year went to an emotional Greg Siegel, of the Wiltern and Avalon, who said things have now come full circle since he interned at CIC in the early ’90s.
Artist Development Executive of the Year is Harlan Frey. Frey has been a perennial bridesmaid to Epic’s Harvey Leeds, who has his office walls filled with this award. Frey, who seemed genuinely surprised by the win, told Leeds from the stage that the award should be named after him.
Sharon Osbourne, having some experience with the award-winner, was pleased to present Dale "Opie" Skjerseth the award for Road Warrior of the Year. Ironically, multiple road warrior winner Jake Berry actually was at the CIAs this time after years of accepting the award via videotape.
Donny Osmond shared the stage with Sharon and told an "Ozzy story." Ozzy, Donny and Marie did a Pepsi commercial once, but no one told Ozzy that the brother/sister act would sing "I’m A Little Bit Country." When they were done, Ozzy apparently walked up to Donny and Marie and said, in his cockney accent, "That. Was. So. Gay."
Coachella took the Music Festival of the Year award, and organizer Paul Tollett dedicated the win to New Orleans festival promoters like Quint Davis and Steve Rehage, who produced their events under impossible conditions last year.
London was well represented, with Wembley Arena winning International Arena of the Year, Royal Albert Hall winning International Theatre and the Reading/Leeds festivals coming out as Best International Festival.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Major Tour Of the Year:
Tim McGraw/Faith Hill
Most Creative Tour Package:
Def Leppard/Journey
Most Creative Stage Production:
Madonna
Best New Touring Artist:
Panic! At the Disco
Music Festival Of the Year:
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Int’l Music Festival Of the Year:
Reading/Leeds Festival
Nightclub Of the Year:
House Of Blues Chicago
Theatre Of the Year:
Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City Walk
Best New Major Concert Venue:
John Paul Jones Arena
Red Rocks Award Best Small Outdoor Venue:
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue:
Hollywood Bowl
Arena Of the Year:
Madison Square Garden Arena
International Theatre Of the Year:
Royal Albert Hall
International Arena Of the Year:
Wembley Arena
Nightclub Talent Buyer Of the Year:
Greg Siegel / The Wiltern, Avalon
Independent Promoter Of the Year:
Arny Granat & Jerry Mickelson / Jam Productions
Talent Buyer Of the Year:
Susan Rosenbluth /AEG Live/Concerts West
Facility Exective Of the Year:
Marilyn Hauser / Palace Of Auburn Hills
Bill Graham Award Promoter Of the Year:
Brian O’Connell / Live Nation
Int’l Promoter Of the Year:
Phil Bowdery / Live Nation UK
Booking Agency Of the Year:
Creative Artists Agency
Boutique Booking Agency Of the Year:
Little Big Man Booking/Paradigm
UK Booking Agent Of the Year:
Neil Warnock / The Agency Group
Third Coast Agent Of the Year:
Brian Hill / Monterey Peninsula Artists/Paradigm
Bobby Brooks Award Agent Of the Year:
Marc Geiger / William Morris Agency
Personal Manager Of the Year:
Bob McLynn
Artist Development Executive Of the Year:
Harlan Frey / Roadrunner Records
Road Warrior Of the Year:
Dale "Opie" Skjerseth
Lighting Company Of the Year:
Upstaging
Sound Company Of the Year:
Clair Brothers/Showco
Staging/Equipment Company Of the Year:
All Access Staging & Productions
Transportation Company Of the Year:
Rock-It Cargo
Video Company Of the Year:
Screenworks