The Country Music Association, the premier trade organization supporting professionals within the Country Music industry, presented industry honors during the CMA Touring Awards last night at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. Hosted by Keith Urban, the evening celebrated the top touring professionals in Country Music. With the touring sector being the largest category of CMA membership, the event celebrated a historic year of touring for the genre.

The evening was star-studded, as Country artists Chris Stapleton, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson and members of Old Dominion all came out to support their nominated crews. Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show Tour” crew took home the night’s highest honor, Crew of the Year, which recognizes the crew that has exemplified outstanding professionalism, skills, teamwork, hospitality, innovation and excellence in all aspects of their work while demonstrating the most heart and spirit on the road and making the biggest overall contribution to elevating Country Music.

The late Ron Baird, former agent and head of CAA’s Nashville office, was also posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. Marc Dennis, agent and co-head of CAA’s Nashville office as well as Baird’s stepson, accepted the honor on behalf of Baird. The award is given to an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years. It honors an individual that has proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on Country Music fans and the industry alike, and whose presence will have a long-term positive impact on Country Music and CMA for generations to come. Baird is one of only six people to have ever received this honor.

Additionally, during the ceremony, CMA unveiled its new Touring Mentorship Program. The program, intended for early-career touring professionals, was designed by industry veterans who recognize the importance of equipping and supporting the next generation. The Touring Mentorship Program will cover seven key roles in the touring industry: Tour Manager, Band Leader/Musician, Production Manager, Production Assistant, Front of House Engineer, Monitor Engineer and Lighting Director/Designer. As part of the six-month program, participants will engage in monthly mentor and mentee meetings and gain access to opportunities for shadowing and projects in the field. The program comes as a result of CMA’s continued dedication to the growth and well-being of the touring community in Country and beyond.

Winners in 20 categories were determined by current professional voting members of CMA in the Affiliated, Artist, Composer, Entertainment Services, Musician, Personal Manager, Record Company, Talent Agent, Advertising/Marketing/Communications, Venue, Talent Buyer/Promoter and Touring Personnel categories of membership. Nominees were based on shows originating between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.

The 2023 CMA Touring Awards winners are as follows:

CATEGORY 1 – CREW OF THE YEAR
“All-American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton

CATEGORY 2 – BACKLINE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
Joel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas Rhett

CATEGORY 3 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy

CATEGORY 4 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Erin Siegfried – Lainey Wilson

CATEGORY 5 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR  
Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton

CATEGORY 6 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Mac Mosier – Chris Stapleton

CATEGORY 7 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Mandelyn Monchick – Red Light Management

CATEGORY 8 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR  
Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny Chesney

CATEGORY 9 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR  
John Garriott – Chris Stapleton

CATEGORY 10 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR  
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PR

CATEGORY 11 – STAGE MANAGER OF THE YEAR  
Todd Green – Chris Stapleton

CATEGORY 12 – SUPPORT SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Clair Global – Nashville, TN

CATEGORY 13 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR  
Jay Williams – WME

CATEGORY 14 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR  
Louis Messina – The Messina Group

CATEGORY 15 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR  
Meg Miller – Lainey Wilson

CATEGORY 16 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Paul Franklin – Chris Stapleton/Vince Gill – Steel Guitar

CATEGORY 17 – TOUR VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR  
CeCe Dawson – Lainey Wilson

CATEGORY 18 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Chris Jones – Jelly Roll

CATEGORY 19 – VENUE OF THE YEAR  
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

CATEGORY 20 – UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR  
Kelsey Maynard – Old Dominion – Assistant Tour Manager

About the CMA Touring Awards 
The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten awards were presented at the first gala and the number swelled to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.

About the Country Music Association 
Founded in 1958, CMA is the premier trade association of the Country Music industry. Representing professionals making a living in Country Music globally, the organization serves as a critical resource of support and information, honors excellence in the genre and provides a forum for industry leadership. CMA is dedicated to expanding Country Music around the world through a number of core programs and initiatives including the organization’s three annual television properties—the CMA Awards, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas,” all of which air on ABC. The organization’s philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, works tirelessly to provide equitable access to music education in order to create impactful change for students and teachers across the United States