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NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) – The Country Music Association (CMA) celebrated the winners of the CMA Touring Awards on Monday (January 31) at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. The awards returned after a two-year postponement due to the pandemic. The event was hosted by Keith Urban.

Creative Artist Agency (CAA) Nashville Co-Head John Huie was honored with the 2022 CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The night’s highest honor is given to an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years.

Huie joined CAA in 1992 and joined Ron Baird and Rod Essig in launching the agency’s first satellite office in Nashville. Since then, he has helped to grow the regional office into an industry powerhouse, representing a client roster that includes Zac Brown Band, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Lady A, Sugarland, Kelsea Ballerini, Michael W. Smith, and Dwight Yoakam, among many others.

Huie’s accolades include a Grammy for Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album for the soundtrack of the Robert Duvall drama The Apostle, which he served as a producer for, and he is a member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

The winners in 15 categories were determined by CMA members, with four wins going to members of Kenny Chesney’s touring crew, three members of Luke Combs‘ crew, and two members of Dierks Bentley’s crew.

The CMA Touring Awards winners are in bold:

BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.
David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Stephanie Mundy Self – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC

COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown Band
Rhett Evens – Thomas Rhett
Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
Jon Long – Dierks Bentley
John Stalder – Kenny Chesney

FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Lain – Morgan Wallen
Todd Lewis – Luke Combs
Robert Scovill – Kenny Chesney
Frank Sgambellone – Luke Bryan
Trey Smith – Thomas Rhett

LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen
Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
Kevin Northrup – Luke Combs
Chris Reade – Dierks Bentley
Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
Mary Hilliard Harrington – Red Light Management
Chris Kappy – Make Wake Artists
Marion Kraft – ShopKeeper Management
John Peets – Q Prime South

TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
David Farmer – Kenny Chesney
Luke Holton – Brothers Osborne
Curt Jenkins – Miranda Lambert
Ethan Strunk – Luke Combs
Jon Townley – Thomas Rhett

MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas Rhett
Phillip Robinson – Kenny Chesney
Scott Tatter – Dierks Bentley
Phil Wilkey – Keith Urban
Michael Zuehsow – Luke Combs

PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton
Erik Leighty – Miranda Lambert
Jerry Slone – Luke Combs
Kevin Twist – Thomas Rhett
Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney

PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media
Ebie McFarland – Essential Broadcast Media
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom
Jensen Sussman – Sweet Talk Publicity
Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity

TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Mike Betterton – Wasserman Music
Joey Lee – WME
Austin Neal – The Neal Agency
Nate Towne – WME
Jay Williams – WME

TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Jered Johnson – Pepper Entertainment
Louis Messina – Messina Touring Group
Brian O’Connell – Live Nation Nashville
Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville
Adam Weiser – AEG Presents

TOUR VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
*Due to a tie in this category, there are six nominees.
Zach Belcher – Dierks Bentley
David Bergman – Luke Combs
Tanner Gallagher – HARDY
Grayson Gregory – Thomas Rhett
Jeff Johnson – Carrie Underwood
Jill Trunnell – Kenny Chesney

TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
John Breslin – Garth Brooks
Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton
Tyler Hutcheson – Luke Combs
Phil Nudelman – Keith Urban

TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Deeghan – Kane Brown
Dan Hochhalter – Dierks Bentley
Harmoni Kelley – Kenny Chesney
Jimmy Mattingly – Garth Brooks / Trisha Yearwood
Josh Reedy – Thomas Rhett

VENUE OF THE YEAR
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

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