Pollstar Awards 2025: Chappell Roan, Stevie Nicks, Missy Elliott, Jelly Roll, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny & Billie Eilish Among Honorees  

The 36^th annual Pollstar Awards was a celebration of the past and present, with legends like Stevie Nicks, Barrie Marshall, Louis Messina and Gary Kurfirst being recognized along with more contemporary artists as Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Chappell Roan, who last year rapidly ascended to superstardom and took home two awards during the ceremony. The star-filled night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles also featured appearances from an array of top artists, including Missy Elliott, Jelly Roll, Eddie Vedder, Bob Weir, John Mayer, The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr. and Ryan Ray and Rusty Anderson of Sir Paul McCartney’s band.

SEE FULL POLLSTAR LIVE AND AWARDS COVERAGE HERE

Roan’s rapid ascension in 2024 didn’t go unnoticed by industry professionals with the pop star winning the New Headliner of the Year and Support/Special Guest of the Year awards, the latter earned after performing alongside Olivia Rodrigo during one of her “GUTS” shows in L.A.

No music awards show would be complete without Taylor Swift, whose success with the “Eras Tour” helped her win the Major Tour of the Year honor, beating out megastars like Coldplay, Morgan Wallen, Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan and Rodrigo. Swift, however, didn’t claim the Pop Tour of the Year award. Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” came out on top of a stacked category, which also featured Charli xcx and Troye Sivan, Justin Timberlake and P!NK, and sent a video message thanking the industry as well as her fans.

The Pollstar Awards inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame, including legendary artist Stevie Nicks who was inducted by music producer, former label head and mogul Jimmy Iovine. The iconic singer thanked everyone who has given her a safe space to get on stage and do what she does best and revealed that she has a new album in the works and written seven new “autobiographical” songs that are “real stories of memories of mine of fantastic men” (including one about the late-great Prince).

“I’m never at a loss for words, but I am a little bit at a loss for words right now,” said Nicks, who said she looked forward to being on the road this year. “… I’m going to have the best time ever because I know I have all of you and I know you’re going to take really good care of me, and it doesn’t matter if I’m 77. It matters that I am protected and watched over and loved and that people give me their hearts.”

The other Hall of Famers are standout promoters Louis Messina, who was inducted by Clint Higham of Morris Higham Management and Barrie Marshall, as well as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the first venue to receive such an honor. Messina has promoted shows for megastars Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Kenny Chesney, and Marshall has worked on tours for Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and Elton John.

The appreciation for Missy Elliott continued at the Pollstar Awards. Coming off a memorable set at Coachella last weekend, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rapper’s “Out of This World Tour” won in the Hip-Hop Tour of the Year category and brought the Pollstar Awards crowd to its feet. The rapper and fashion icon thanked her mother and her team for their sacrifices.

“I just want y’all to know that I am grateful; I never take things like this for granted,” she said. “I want y’all to know that I love y’all, and big things to come. Holla!”

Co-founder of the Grateful Dead Bob Weir graced the stage at the Beverly Hilton to induct Ryman Auditorium into the Hall of Fame and receive the Residency of the Year award alongside fellow Dead & Company guitarist John Mayer.

“Our 2024 ‘Dead Forever: Live at the Sphere’ residency was pretty special,” Weir said. “Thirty shows, 150 different songs, over 2 million bucks raised for nonprofits, it was a creative high point for all of us. And we’re grateful for everyone at Sphere who helped bring the vision to life.”

Jelly Roll, who graced the cover of Pollstar last year and is scheduled to speak at Pollstar Live! on Thursday, won the coveted Country Tour of the Year award, building on what was a successful 2024 for the singer.

Bad Bunny’s “Most Wanted Tour,” which was one of 2024’s most successful arena treks, earned the Puerto Rican star Latin Tour of the Year honors; Usher took home the R&B Tour of the Year award for his “Past Present Future” tour; and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band won the Rock Tour of the Year.

Funny (and nice) man Nate Bargatze won the Comedy Tour of the Year award, an honor that had gone to standout comic Dave Chappelle the past two years.

The awards ceremony, which was hosted by iHeartRadio personality Valentine, also honored artists, executives and buildings that paved the way for those in the live industry today. Along with those inducted into the Pollstar Live! Hall of Fame, Gary Kurfirst, manager for legendary rock bands such as Talking Heads and the Ramones, posthumously received a Lifetime Achievement Award. His son Josh Kurfirst, who is a Partner and Global Head of Festivals for WME, accepted the award on behalf of his father.

L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was the recipient of the Visionary Award for the $2 billion marvel he built in Inglewood, California, that is Intuit Dome, one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the world.

One of the more touching moments of the evening was when Larry Solters of Scoop Marketing won the Maxie Solters Award – Touring Publicist of the Year, an honor named after his daughter, the late and beloved Maxie Solters.

Eddie Vedder was on hand to accept the Music Festival of the Year (Global, Under 30,000 Attendance) for his Ohana Festival, which takes place in Dana Point, California.

Wasserman Music repeated as Booking Agency of the Year and High Road Touring took home the Independent Booking Agency of the Year (Global) award.

Coran Capshaw of Red Light Management and Irving Azoff of the Azoff Company tied and shared the Personal Manager of the Year, with The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. presenting the award to Capshaw and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin handing off the trophy to Azoff. Other notable industry professionals to be take home statues include AEG Presents’ Rich Schaefer (Bill Graham Award – Promoter of the Year), Stacie George of Live Nation, (Talent Buyer of the Year), WME’s Kirk Sommer (Bobby Brooks Award – Agent of the Year), Donna Busch of Goldenvoice (Small Venue Talent Buyer of the Year) and Wasserman Music’s Kiely Mosiman (Rising Star Award).

A new category was introduced during the show and named after a pop star who aims to reduce the carbon footprint of global touring. The Billie Eilish Award for Sustainability was given to Mike Sciortino of UBS Arena in New York and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena for championing sustainability.

Pollstar also celebrated the international promoters and agents who help globalize the business. Creative Artist Agency’s Christopher Dalston won International Booking Agent of the Year and Ricardo Gómez of OCESA, the largest Latin music promoter, received the International Promoter of the Year award after Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly known as Foro Sol) reopened last year with sold-out shows from acts like Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Morat and Iron Maiden. The beloved venue, which was nominated in the New Concert Venue of the Year (International) and Stadium of the Year (Outside of the U.S.) categories, finished No. 1 in ticket sales among stadiums on Pollstar’s Year End charts despite closing for six months for renovations.

Venues taking home big awards included the Hollywood Bowl (Red Rocks Award – Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year), Co-op Live (New Concert Venue of the Year – International), SoFi Stadium (Stadium of the Year – U.S. Only), Sphere (Arena of the Year – U.S. Only), Wembley Stadium (Stadium of the Year – Outside U.S.) and Brooklyn Paramount (Theatre of the Year).

2025 POLLSTAR AWARD HONOREES

Major Tour of the Year
Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour

Rock Tour of the Year
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 2024 World Tour

Pop Tour of the Year
Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour

Country Tour of the Year
Jelly Roll, The Beautifully Broken Tour

Hip-Hop Tour of the Year
Missy Elliott, Out of This World – The Missy Elliott Experience

R&B Tour of the Year
Usher, Usher: Past Present Future

Latin Tour of the Year
Bad Bunny, Most Wanted Tour

Comedy Tour of the Year
Nate Bargatze, The Be Funny Tour

New Headliner of the Year
Chappell Roan

Support/Special Guest of the Year
Chappell Roan (Olivia Rodrigo)

Residency of the Year
Dead & Company, Sphere

Hall of Fame
Stevie Nicks, Barrie Marshall, Louis Messina, Ryman Auditorium

Lifetime Achievement Award
Gary Kurfirst

Visionary Award
Steve Ballmer

Billie Eilish Award for Sustainability
Sustainability Champion – Mike Sciortino, UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
Sustainability Venue – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington

Stadium of the Year (U.S. Only)
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Stadium of the Year (Outside the U.S.)
Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom

Arena of the Year (U.S. Only)
Sphere, Las Vegas, Nevada

Arena of the Year (Outside of U.S.)
The O2, London, United Kingdom

Personal Manager of the Year
Coran Capshaw of Red Light Management
Irving Azoff, Azoff Company

Venue Executive of the Year
Christy Castillo Butcher, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park

Booking Agency of the Year
Wasserman Music

Independent Booking Agency of the Year (Global)
High Road Touring

Bill Graham Award/Promoter of the Year
Rich Schaefer, AEG Presents

Bobby Brooks Award – Agent of the Year
Kirk Sommer, WME

International Booking Agent of the Year
Christopher Dalston, Creative Artists Agency

International Promoter of the Year
Ricardo Gómez, OCESA

New Concert Venue of the Year (North America)
Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

Red Rocks Award – Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California

Theatre of the Year
Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, New York

Nightclub of the Year
9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.

New Concert Venue of the Year (International)
Co-op Live, Manchester, United Kingdom

Music Festival of the Year (Global, Over 30,000 Attendance)
Bourbon & Beyond, Louisville, Kentucky

Music Festival of the Year (Global, Under 30,000 Attendance)
Ohana Festival, Dana Point, California

International Music Festival of the Year
Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, United Kingdom

Maxie Solters Award – Touring Publicist of the Year
Larry Solters, Scoop Marketing

Rising Star Award
Kiely Mosiman, Wasserman Music

Talent Buyer of the Year
Stacie George, Live Nation

Small Venue Talent Buyer of the Year (Under 10,000 Capacity)
Donna Busch, Goldenvoice

Road Warrior of the Year
Marty Hom

Casino/Resort Venue of the Year
Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida

Concert Visuals Company of the Year
Moo TV

Concert Sound Company of the Year
Clair Global

Tour Services Company of the Year
Backline Care

Transportation Company of the Year
Rock-It Cargo

Family Event or Non-Music Tour of the Year
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party