#64 | Backstage at the 20th Annual CMA Touring Awards

For the 20th annual CMA Touring Awards, Giggs went backstage at The Pinnacle in Nashville and talked to over 20 winners, nominees, and industry leaders across one night.We open with outgoing CMA CEO Sarah Trahern — her 13th and final Touring Awards — and SVP of Industry Relations Tiffany Kerns, on peer recognition, what this event means to the touring community, and what they're building for the next generation.Winners featured in this episode:Meg Miller — Tour Manager of the Year | Lainey WilsonAllison Noah — Stage Manager of the Year | Carly Pearce / Lainey WilsonRyan Dell — Front of House Engineer of the Year | Lainey WilsonCurt Armstead — Monitor Engineer of the Year | Lainey WilsonCaleb Garrett — Coach/Truck Driver of the Year | Luke Bryan Kerri Edwards — Manager of the Year | KP Entertainment (Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell)Zac Coren — Lighting Director of the Year | Morgan WallenJen Conger — Business Manager of the Year | FBMOlivia Hanceri — Publicist of the Year | OH CreativeCatherine Powell — Videographer/Photographer of the Year | Kelsea BalleriniRobert Bull — Support Services Company of the Year | Clair GlobalTrent Allison & Mike DuCharme — Venue of the Year | The Pinnacle, NashvilleDiana "Lemonade" McBride — Unsung Hero of the Year | Grand Ole OpryAlso on the red carpet: Chris King, Sam "Sambo" Coats & William Coats (Eric Church), Chris Daniels (Luke Bryan), Brad Baisley (Blake Shelton), Josh Phillips (Hardy), Troy "Tracker" Johnson (Track Management), Evan Sander (ASCOT Travel Services), Aslan Freeman (Lainey Wilson), Megan Truesdell (Chris Stapleton), Margie (Chris Stapleton), Brittany Hitch (Bridgestone Arena), Dane & Lolo Kinser (Post Malone/Kane Brown).What you'll learn:Why Caleb Garrett bought Luke Bryan's CD before signing on — and what 17 years of believing in your artist looks likeWhat Kerri Edwards means when she says it was scarier not to take the leapWhy Allison Noah says stage management is a service roleHow Meg Miller went from driving Lainey's van to Tour Manager of the Year twiceWhat managing 23 mixes at Stagecoach taught Curt Armstead about staying calmWhy Diana "Lemonade" McBride calls herself "whatever needs to be done" — and why that became an awardWhat outgoing CMA CEO Sarah Trahern wants the next generation to stop doing to themselvesSponsor: MOC is looking for new volunteers to help share the joys of live music. Volunteer Guides are the friendly faces who host the programs as volunteer musicians perform hopeful songs to put a smile on the faces of hospital patients, families, and caregivers. To learn more about becoming a Musicians On Call volunteer, visit https://www.musiciansoncall.org.Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/Stay up to date:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.liveYoutube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-liveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.liveHost: Nikki Sanz