DETROIT, January 18, 2009 – DTE Energy Music Theatre has been selected as a nominee for “Venue of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for 2008, marking the second consecutive year it has earned the nomination.
The ACM will announce the winner during the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony to take place on Sunday, April 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Other venues nominated include The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC, Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre in Virginia Beach, VA and Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, NH.
DTE Energy Music Theatre hosted seven country concerts in 2008, making it one of the venue’s most popular genres. The show list included: Tim McGraw with Jason Aldean and Halfway to Hazard on May 22, John Michael Montgomery with Billy Craig on June 14, Martina McBride with Jack Ingram and Chris Young on July 11, Dolly Parton on August 13, Travis Tritt with Keith Anderson featured in “WYCD’s Birthday Bash” on August 14, Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top with Rodney Atkins on August 23 and Toby Keith with Montgomery Gentry, Carter’s Chord, Mica Roberts and Trailer Choir on September 14.
“We are pleased DTE Energy Music Theatre is nominated again for this prestigious award, it is as much a testimony to the loyal country music fans in Metro Detroit as it is for our venue,” said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment.
In addition to its nomination for 2007, DTE Energy Music Theatre earned similar honor in 1997 when it was nominated for Venue of the Year by the Country Music Association (CMA). Its sister venue, The Palace, also earned Venue of the Year nominations by the CMA in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994, and the organization listed The Palace as the Top-Grossing Country Music Venue in 1995.
PS&E ownership includes The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre, as well as the management of Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University. Combined, PS&E’s Michigan venues average 300 events and 3.5 million guests annually.
The Palace has been voted Arena of the Year eight times by Performance magazine, twice by Pollstar magazine and is listed annually among North America’s top-grossing arenas. Voted “Best Outdoor Concert Venue” in Pollstar’s 2000 Readers’ Poll, DTE Energy Music Theatre has been listed as the nation’s most attended amphitheater by Amusement Business/Billboard each of the 18 years of PS&E ownership.
