Taylor Swift, Dave Chappelle, Beyoncé, Metallica, Pink, U2 and other top performers honored at Pollstar Awards
In perhaps the year’s least surprising awards development, Taylor Swift was awarded the honor for major tour of the year at the Pollstar Awards, in a ceremony held Wednesday night at L.A.’s Wiltern Theatre amid the annual Pollstar Live! conference.
Swift was not on hand to pick up her trophy, but among those who were were Dave Chappelle, who won for comedy tour of the year, and Lars Uhlrich of Metallica, the winner in the rock tour category.
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“I used to take this shit for granted, but this last tour was hard as fuck,” said Chappelle (per a report in Pollstar). “I want to thank everyone at Live Nation, everybody on that team (and) everybody at Netflix. This was a real special tour. It was a hard one, but man, this shit is great.”
Said Ulrich (also via Pollstar), “Forty-two years ago, we started not too far from here. A little rock band started in Downey. … I was 17, James [Hetfield] was 18, and the idea that we could win awards like this 42 years later would at that time seem so fucking preposterous and just like a total mind fuck to be in the same category as artists like Bruce Springsteen and [Dead and Company].”
Other musicians coming up for reward as the biggest or best tourers in their respective leagues were Beyoncé, for R&B tour of the year; Post Malone, for hip-hop tour of the year; Pink, in the pop tour division; Morgan Wallen, for top country tourer; and Karol G, in the Latin tour of the year category.
Brandi Carlile, obviously a headliner in her own right, got an award for best support act, thanks to her showing up for a good number of Pink’s stadium shows. U2’s Sphere stint was the recipient of residency of the year honors. Jelly Roll was named the top new touring artist.
Among the venues and festivals honored in categories selected by their respective sizes were the Ryman Auditorium, the Hollywood Bowl, So-Fi Stadium, Sphere, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, the Ohaha Festival, Austin City Limits Festival and Glastonbury.
Talent buyer of the year honors went to Amy Corbin of C3 Presents and, in the under-10,000 division, Goldenvoice’s Donna Busch.
The complete list of winners:
Major Tour of the Year
Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour
Rock Tour of the Year
Metallica, M72 World Tour
… (full list continues)
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