FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CMA’S 2013 SRO AWARDS FINAL NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Voting on Final Ballot Begins Friday; New Category Added for Talent Buyer/Promoter NASHVILLE – The finalists have been determined for CMA’s touring industry honors known as the SRO Awards and the final ballot were emailed to voters on Friday, May 24. Ballots were sent to CMA members in the following categories: Affiliated, Artist, Engineer, Entertainment Services, Musician, Personal Manager, Publicist, Record Label, Talent Agent, Talent Buyer/Promoter, TV/Video/Media, and Venue. Final voting for the SRO Awards will take place online from May 24-June 12. Ballots will be tabulated by the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, LLP. Finalists were determined during the first round of the balloting process when voters submitted nominations in each category.   CMA’s SRO Awards 2013 Final Nominees are as follows (in alphabetical order): CATEGORY 1 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc. Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc. Dwight Wiles – Smith, Wiles & Co., P.C. CATEGORY 2 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR Kelley Beck – Blake Shelton Caleb Garrett – Kenny Chesney Tim Olson – Toby Keith CATEGORY 3 – FOH (FRONT OF HOUSE) ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Greg Huffman – Jake Owen Jeff Parsons – Blake Shelton David Payne – Taylor Swift CATEGORY 4 – LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Trevor Ahlstrand – Martina McBride Paul Normandale – Hunter Hayes Steve Richards – Taylor Swift CATEGORY 5 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR Robert Allen – 13 Management Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment Clint Higham – Morris Artists Management CATEGORY 6 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR Kevin Canady – Blake Shelton Greg Fowler – Jake Owen Erica Worden – Taylor Swift CATEGORY 7 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Brad Baisley – Blake Shelton Jordan Kolenc – Taylor Swift Evan Richner – Jason Aldean CATEGORY 8 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR Arthur Kemish – Taylor Swift Meesha Kosciolek – Martina McBride Art Rich – Blake Shelton CATEGORY 9 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR Paula Erickson – Erickson Public Relations Mary Hilliard Harrington – The GreenRoom  Ebie McFarland – Essential Broadcast Media, LLC CATEGORY 10 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR Rod Essig – Creative Artist Agency Jay Williams – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC Rob Beckham – William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC CATEGORY 11 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR Louis Messina – The Messina Group Brian O’Connell – Live Nation Debra Rathwell – AEG Live CATEGORY 12 – TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR               Dega Catering TaDa! Catering TourCats Catering CATEGORY 13 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR David Cook – Taylor Swift – Keyboard Robby Emerson – Jake Owen – Bass Steve Sinatra – Hunter Hayes – Drums CATEGORY 14 – VENUE OF THE YEAR Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn. Joe’s Bar – Chicago, Ill. Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn. CATEGORY 15 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney Olivier Goulet – Taylor Swift Michael Tinsley – Taylor Swift The SRO Awards were originally created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first SRO Awards were presented at a black tie gala, hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller, during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, which was also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten SRO Awards were presented at the first gala and the number of awards swelled to 19 before the last were handed out at SRO ’97. In 2011, CMA brought back the Touring Musician of the Year Award and in 2012, SRO Awards in 14 categories were handed out in Nashville during “The 42nd Annual IEBA Conference” in conjunction with the presentation of the IEBA Awards and Hall of Fame Induction in October, which is recognized as Country Music Month. In 2013, a new category has been added for Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year. About CMA: Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,000 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; the CMA Music Festival, which benefits music education and is taped for a three-hour TV special; and “CMA Country Christmas,” featuring Country artists performing original music and Christmas classics for broadcast during the holiday season. All of CMA’s television properties will air on the ABC Television network through 2021. -30-