"We are extremely proud to have received our 14th consecutive Pollstar nomination for Arena of the Year, and we want to thank David Kells for his dedication to making Bridgestone Arena the best environment in the sports and entertainment industry for agents, managers, performers, promoters and fans," Henry said. "After a trying for a year and a half, we have been so honored to help bring live entertainment - one of the staples of what makes SMASHVILLE such a special place - back to our community. We want to thank our loyal fans for consistently displaying their passion and helping us earn the opportunity to be recognized for this prestigious award. I'd also like to thank VenuesNow; I'm honored and humbled to be listed alongside so many other incredible individuals in our industry."
After being nominated for Pollstar's Arena of the Decade in 2020, Bridgestone Arena ranked third in the world and United States for ticket sales in the publication's third quarter ticket sales report, which was released in late September. Pollstar announced Bridgestone Arena's ticket sales as 82,431, inclusive solely of show and concert tickets, and the venue ranked behind only STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Pollstar's Arena of the Year award recognizes the arena that showcased superior programming, effective promotion and marketing, quality production values and staff, an exemplary experience for fans and artists and consistent box office success. Bridgestone Arena won the award in 2014 and 2017.
"First and foremost, we want to thank our fans for helping us be nominated for this award," Kells said. "This could not have happened without their unwavering support of all we do - their feedback and passion has made Bridgestone Arena a safe and unique venue to enjoy the best shows on tour. Additionally, we'd like to recognize the countless artists, managers, agents, promoters and crew members for their efforts to help bring live entertainment back to Lower Broadway. To be included on the same list as so many other venues and industry executives is a true honor I am very thankful for."
Henry was honored alongside 39 other industry leaders on the VenuesNow All-Stars List. Per VenuesNow, the list honors individuals "who in 2021 helped bring this industry back, including building: management, from clubs to stadiums and festivals; branding, sponsorship and sales; architecture and construction; concessions; technology; operations and security; and ticketing."
It is the seventh time Kells has been nominated for the Pollstar Venue Executive of the Year award; he won it in 2017. The award recognizes the venue executive who exhibited integrity, operational competence, marketing savvy, can-do attitude, flexibility, calm under stress and business acumen.
2021 Pollstar Arena of the Year Nominees
• BOK Center - Tulsa, Okla.
• Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, Tenn.
• Dickies Arena - Fort Worth, Texas
• Madison Square Garden - New York
• STAPLES Center - Los Angeles
• The Forum - Inglewood, Calif.
2021 Pollstar Venue Executives of the Year Nominees
• Chris Wright - Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nev.)
• David Kells - Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tenn.)
• Eric Bresler - Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, Wash.)
• Geni Lincoln - The Forum (Inglewood, Calif.)
• Josephine Vaccarello - Madison Square Garden (New York)
• Laurie Jacoby - Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Pollstar Magazine focuses primarily on the concert industry and also reports on news regarding sports and entertainment. The nominating committee is comprised of industry leaders in all facets of the entertainment business, including arena managers, artists, artist managers, agents and promoters from across the country and abroad.
The 33rd Annual Pollstar Awards ceremony will take place on Feb. 8, 2022 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
