Nashville Tenn. (November 15, 2011) – Bridgestone Arena, home of the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators, has been nominated for the 2011 Pollstar Concert Industry Arena of the Year Award. Five other arenas have been nominated for this international honor, including Air Canada Centre (Toronto, ON), BOK Center (Tulsa, OK), Madison Square Garden (New York, NY), Philips Arena (Atlanta, GA) and Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA). The 23rd Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards Ceremony will take place Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, in Los Angeles at Club Nokia.

This is the eighth nomination overall and fifth consecutive for Bridgestone Arena. Through Sept. 30, 2011, Bridgestone Arena has ranked ninth and fourth in U.S. concert attendance in Pollstar’s Mid-Year and Third Quarter Reports, respectively. These numbers are up from 23rd (Mid-Year), 19th (Third Quarter) in 2010, when Bridgestone Arena finished sixth in the Year-End Rankings. Bridgestone Arena was also the second busiest venue in the country and fifth in the world for the September-October reporting periods, according to trade publication Venues Today.

“2010 was Bridgestone Arena’s most successful year to date, and in 2011 we committed to building on those achievements,” Bridgestone Arena Vice President of Booking Brock Jones said. “This nomination, our fifth in a row, is wonderful recognition of our successes in hosting world-class events right here in Middle Tennessee. It is a testament to everyone who plays a role in bringing these events to life. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved – from promoters, agents, acts, managers and staff to strong community support and incentives put in place by the Mayor’s office – we are closing in on our goal of becoming the Number One venue in the country. ”

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 45th Annual CMA Awards
       o Arena agreement with CMA to host CMA Awards through 2013
  • More than 130 events with top performers such as:
       o Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Jan. 20-23
       o Music as a Weapon – Feb. 4
       o Kid Rock – Feb. 18
       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 Live – July 30
       o Keith Urban – Aug. 6
       o Train and Maroon 5 – Aug. 17
       o Katy Perry – Aug. 19
       o Journey – Sept. 13
       o Taylor Swift – Sept. 16 and 17
  • Host to more than 1.3 million guests this year to date.

Upcoming Bridgestone Arena events include Jeff Dunham (Nov. 25), NCAA Hockey (Dec. 2 and 3), Guns N’ Roses (Dec. 4), Zac Brown Band (Dec. 29) and Bassnectar (Dec. 31).

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 winner of this prestigious award is determined by the international readership of Pollstar.

Bridgestone Arena opened in December 1996 and will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary this December. The facility has hosted more than 13 million guests for such events as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional Tournament, SEC and OVC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournaments, as well as entertainers such as Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Billy Joel, Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, KISS, Metallica and Kings of Leon. Bridgestone Arena has been the home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators since 1998; home of the CMA Awards; CMT Music Awards; SEC Men’s Basketball Tournaments past and upcoming in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019; NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments past and upcoming (second and third Rounds in 2012); and NCAA Women’s Final Four Basketball Tournament in 2013.

To receive regular updates on upcoming events at Bridgestone Arena go to bridgestonearena.com.