Bridgestone Arena continues to rack up awards

Nashville's Bridgestone Arena continues to receive awards for being one of the top facilities in the United States.

For the second time in three years Bridgestone was named the Venue of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. The award for 2011 follows their initial top venue award in 2009. Winners are  ineligible for consecutive nominations so there was not an "off year" in 2010.

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BRIDGESTONE ARENA NAMED 2011 ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR

-Successful year sees Bridgestone Arena net second ACM Award-

Nashville Tenn. (March 22, 2012) – Bridgestone Arena has been named 2011 Venue of the Year by the Academy of Country Music for the second time in three years. Four other venues were nominated for this honor, including the BOK Center (Tulsa, Okla.), First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (Chicago), Jiffy Lube Live (Bristow, Va.) and Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.). This is Bridgestone Arena’s second ACM Industry Award, after being named ACM Venue of the Year for calendar year 2009. Winners are ineligible for consecutive nominations.

“Year over year we are fortunate to host some of the best events, fans and performers country music has to offer,” Bridgestone Arena Vice President of Booking David Kells said.  “Winning the 2011 Venue of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music is truly a thrill for everyone at Bridgestone Arena.  This award highlights what the artists, music industry professionals, arena staff and fans have brought to Nashville, and we’d like to thank them for helping us bring this accolade home to Music City.”

2011 Bridgestone Arena Highlights:
·         Host to the 2011 Stanley Cup Western Conference Quarterfinals and Semifinals
·         Host to the 2011 CMT Music Awards
·         Host to the 2011 CMA Awards
·         More than 82 events with top performers such as:
o   Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Jan. 20-23
o   Brad Paisley – Feb. 26
o   Rush – April 3
o   Sugarland – April 16
o   Lady Gaga – April 19
o   Bob Seger – April 21
o   Taylor Swift Speak Now Help Now Benefit – May 21
o   Jimmy Buffet – May 28
o   Cirque du Soleil Alegria – June 15-19
o   Britney Spears – July 18
o   Katy Perry – July 19
o   American Idol – July 30
o   Keith Urban – Aug. 6
o   Journey – Sept. 13
o   Taylor Swift – Sept. 16 and 17
o   The Avett Brothers – Oct. 28
o   Jeff Dunham – Nov. 25
o   Guns N Roses – Dec. 4
o   Zac Brown Band – Dec. 29
o   Bassnectar – Dec. 31

The ACM Venue of the Year Award is presented to an outstanding venue, selected by a panel of Blue Ribbon Judges. The venue must have bought or promoted at least five country concerts/dates during the prior calendar year (Dec. 1-Nov. 30), be in good standing with all agents and help promote country ticket sales. The winner from the previous year is ineligible for a consecutive nomination in this category. The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcasts live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 7 p.m. CT on CBS. Industry awards, including the Venue of the Year Award, will be presented at “ACM Honors,” an annual event held in Nashville in the fall.

Serving as the home for numerous national and international events, Bridgestone Arena has the distinction of being one of the busiest venues in the Unites States over the past decade and a half, hosting more than 18 million guests during that time and being named one of the Top 10 busiest venues in the country for the last two years by top industry publication, Pollstar. The NHL’s Nashville Predators have been the primary tenants of Bridgestone Arena since 1998 and boast one of the most unique game atmospheres in the NHL. The list of acts that have called Bridgestone Arena home is lengthy and includes the CMA Awards; the CMT Awards; Keith Urban’s “We’re All For the Hall” benefit concerts; NCAA, SEC and OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments; and entertainers such as Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, KISS, Metallica and Lady Gaga. The arena recently hosted the 2012 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament and the NCAA 2012 Men’s Basketball Tournament and will host the Women’s Final Four in 2014.

To receive regular updates on upcoming events at Bridgestone Arena go to bridgestonearena.com.  For more information on the Nashville Predators, game schedule and ticket availability, please visit nashvillepredators.com.

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