Bert Kreischer To Host 30th Annual Pollstar Awards

– Bert Kreischer

Comedian Bert Kreischer will be your host for the evening at the 30th annual Pollstar Awards, taking place Feb. 13 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The ceremony honors the top achievers in the live entertainment industry and caps off the Feb. 11-13 Pollstar Live! conference.

Kreischer will stop by the award show in between stops on his Body Shots World Tour, which kicked off last month. The rising star has released two previous stand-up specials, 2016’s “The Machine” on Showtime and 2009’s “Comfortably Dumb” on Comedy Central, and a book, “Life of the Party: Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child.” He also has two podcasts, “Bertcast,” and “Open Tabs,” and a YouTube cooking show: “Something’s Burning.” Kreischer was named Rolling Stone’s 1997 “Number One Partier in the Nation” but his act has since evolved with anecdotes about his family and fatherhood, earning praise from Forbes for his ability to prove “that there’s a way to take his [party-boy] antics into middle-age.” 

The awards show will give out trophies to the top achievers among promoters, agents, venues, festivals, marketers, production professionals, and others that helped make the 2018 touring year one of the most successful in history. For the first time Pollstar weighed actual box office performance (gross revenue and ticket sales) as factors in determining winners for many awards, while predominantly remaining an industry peer-voted honor. 

New categories this year include “Best Residency,” “Best Support/Special Guest,” “Best Non-Music Tour,” “Best Brand Partnership,” “Best Touring Musician,” and “Best Attraction,” along with a handful of irreverent awards including “The Unavailable,” “Best Hang” and “Most Dreaded Phone Call.”  

Pollstar is also debuting the “Music Unites” award to recognize the important philanthropic contributions of the live entertainment industry. The inaugural award goes to Music for Relief –founded by Linkin Park, and now Entertainment Industry Foundation’s official crisis relief program – which most recently raised funds for first responders and families impacted by devastating wildfires in California.

“For 30 years, the Pollstar Awards have been the definitive recognition for achievement in the touring industry, and we are honored and privileged to again recognize the elite artists, venues, and executives in the world of live entertainment,” said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, parent company of Pollstar. “This is a thrilling time to be in the business of live, and we remain inspired by the level of professionalism, creativity and fan engagement exhibited by those who make up our nominees for the 2019 Pollstar Awards, and across the industry.” 

Ray Waddell, president of OVG’s Media & Conferences division, added, “The 2019 Pollstar Awards remain the most relevant and accurate representation of the ‘year in touring’ and the highest achieving artists and professionals that make up this dynamic, passionate business. We congratulate all the nominees. They always say it’s an honor just to be nominated, but, of course, we know they all want to win.”

The announcement about Kreischer follows Monday’s news that Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will appear in conversation at Pollstar Live! with Live Nation Entertainment President and CEO Michael Rapino at the Beverly Hilton Feb. 12. 

Grohl joins an impressive slate of artists already booked to appear at Pollstar Live! that includes George Clinton, Khalid and Jim James.

Other Pollstar Live! speakers include The Messina Touring Group’s Louis Messina, Live Nation Entertainment’s Arthur Fogel, William Morris Endeavor’s Greg Oswald, Ticketmaster’s Kathryn Frederick, Artist Growth’s Matt Urmy, Paradigm’s Marty Diamond, Nederlander’s Alex Hodges, Live Nation’s Bob Roux, Kevin Lyman Group’s Kevin Lyman, CID Entertainment’s Dan Berkowitz, WME’s Tony Goldring, Live Nation’s John Reid and C3 Presents’ Leca Guimarães.

The first day of the three-day conference is dedicated to Production Live!, which this year features programming led by production legend Jake Berry (who worked on tours by U2, Rolling Stones and Beyoncé to AC/DC, Madonna and Motley Crue among others). 

For more information about this year’s Pollstar Live! conference and to register for the event, click here.