http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/art ... 1003874786
Bon Jovi, Springsteen, Police Lead Touring Award Finalists
Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and the Police are among the finalists for the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards, set for Nov. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.
All three of those tours are finalists for the Top Tour and Top Draw awards, which recognize the top grossing and top ticket sellers, respectively. Outside of the special honors, Billboard Touring Awards are based on data reported to Billboard Boxscore between Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2008.
"Despite a tough economy, the touring industry has held up quite well, and there were some real highlights and special tours out this year," says Ray Waddell, executive director of content and programming for touring and live events at Billboard. "We look forward to once again honoring the top tours, venues, events and companies at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards."
Other finalists include Kenny Chesney's Poets & Pirates tour, Journey/Heart/Cheap Trick, and Mary J. Blige/Jay-Z with Dream for Top Package, and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, and Michael Buble for Breakthrough Artist. The latter acknowledges the top-grossing act that breaks into the Top 25 tours for the first time.
Top Festival finalists are Coachella in Indio, Calif., Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn. The Top Boxscore finalists, which go to the top-grossing engagement for the time period, are Spice Girls at the O2 in London, Madonna at Stade de France in Paris, and Celine Dion at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
On the industry side, Live Nation, AEG Live, and 3A Entertainment are finalists for the Top Promoter award, and William Morris Agency, Creative Artists Agency and Artists Group International are the three finalists for Top Agency.
Top Manager finalists are Jon Landau Management, Bon Jovi Management, and Front Line Management. Venue finalists in various categories include Madison Square Garden, the WaMu Theater at MSG, and Radio City Music Hall in New York, along with the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the O2, Bell Centre, Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Top Club and Top Amphitheatre will also be awarded.
Special Awards this year include Widespread Panic for the Road Warrior award, Jon Bon Jovi/Philadelphia Soul for Humanitarian Award, Walking With Dinosaurs for Creative Content, and the Allman Brothers Band for Legend Of Live. The awards wrap the 2008 Billboard Touring Conference Nov. 19-20.
