Tony Conway, Mary Hilliard Harrington, Louis Messina Among CMA Touring Awards Winners

Marty Stuart and Tony Conway
Caitlin Harris/CMA – Marty Stuart and Tony Conway
Marty Stuart presents Tony Conway with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Jan. 21.
In a night of celebration hosted by Jon Pardi, CMA honored live industry professionals from managers to production managers to publicists at the eighth annual CMA Touring Awards.
The ceremony was held at Marathon Music Works in Nashville Jan. 21. 
A highlight of the evening was Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group receiving the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award from Marty Stuart. 
“You know, sometimes when I talk about who I used to represent or who I do represent, they think I’m making all this up because it just sounds like a dream, and it is. It’s true,” Conway said while accepting his award. “I want to thank everybody in this room for what they do on the road. Like everybody says, we are one big family, and it takes professionals and people that love the business as much as I do to pull it off.”
Dierks Bentley and Caylee Hammack manager Mary Hilliard Harrington won Manager of the Year, making her the only honoree to win in multiple categories. She previously won Publicist of the Year three times. 
“I decided this year 2020 was my year of gratitude, and so it’s pretty amazing to be able to stand here in front of all of you guys and say thank you in such a public way,” Harrington said during her acceptance speech.
Louis Messina was named Talent Buyer/Promoter Of The Year for his work with Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Eric Church. Last year Messina received the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. 
The Touring Awards come several months after the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards brought the biggest names in Nashville to Bridgestone Arena.
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern spoke to Pollstar in June ahead of the 48th CMA Fest, previously known as Fan Fair, saying: “This is Nashville’s top annual event. We had visitors from all 50 states and 36 countries last year. We work closely all year long with the city, from the Mayor’s office and Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., to police, fire, public works, and the merchants downtown. We will begin our planning meetings for next year with them in just a few weeks when the success of this year is fresh in everyone’s mind.”
A full list of the 8th annual CMA Touring Awards winners is below:
CATEGORY 1 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Mary Ann McCready – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
CATEGORY 2 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Larry Phye, Jr. – Chris Stapleton
CATEGORY 3 – (FOH) FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton
CATEGORY 4 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Chris Reade – Dierks Bentley
CATEGORY 5 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Mary Hilliard Harrington – Red Light Management
CATEGORY 6 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Todd Bunch – Eric Church
CATEGORY 7 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 8 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Jay Ballinger – Dierks Bentley
CATEGORY 9 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom
CATEGORY 10 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Jay Williams – WME
CATEGORY 11 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Louis Messina – Messina Touring Group
CATEGORY 12 – TOUR VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Jill Trunnell – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 13 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Chris Jones – Eric Church
CATEGORY 14 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Wyatt Beard – Kenny Chesney
CATEGORY 15 – VENUE OF THE YEAR
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
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