Nashville, Tenn. – Pollstar Magazine announced that Bridgestone Arena, home of the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators, has been nominated for Arena of the Year for its 37th annual awards. This is Bridgestone Arena’s 18th consecutive and 21st overall nomination for the award.
Additionally, Bridgestone Arena and Nashville Predators Chief Venues Officer David Kells has been nominated for Pollstar’s Venue Executive of the Year. This is the 11th time Kells has been nominated for Venue Executive of the Year award; he won it in 2017 and 2022. The award recognizes the venue executive who exhibited integrity, operational competence, marketing savvy, can-do attitude, flexibility, calm under stress and business acumen.
“Our arena is honored to be nominated for Pollstar Arena of the Year again,” Bridgestone Arena and Nashville Predators Chief Venues Officer David Kells said. “It is also incredibly meaningful as we are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. We are proud of the environment our staff and fans have created to make it one of the premier places to play and perform for nearly 30 years. Thank you to every artist, manager, agent and promoter who've helped create amazing memories over the past 30 years in Music City. Additionally, I am grateful to be nominated amongst incredible colleagues in the industry for the Venue Executive of the Year.”
Bridgestone Arena is consistently one of the top concert venues worldwide. In 2025, the arena hosted 151 events, welcoming more than 1.8 million fans. The year featured 21 first-time headliners and eight two-night residencies including Nate Bargatze, Kane Brown, Sabrina Carpenter, Pearl Jam, Cody Johnson, Kill Tony, Billy Strings and Theo Von. Bridgestone Arena also hosted the annual Country Music Association Awards for the 19th time and the SEC Basketball Tournament for the 22nd time.
Pollstar’s Arena of the Year award recognizes the arena based in the United States 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, 2017 and 2023.
Pollstar Arena of the Year (U.S. Only) Nominees
- Bridgestone Arena – Nashville
- Kia Forum – Inglewood, Calif.
- Madison Square Garden – New York
- Moody Center – Austin, Texas
- Sphere – Las Vegas, Nev.
- Target Center – Minneapolis, Minn.
Pollstar Venue Executive of the Year Nominees
- Becky Colwell, Kia Forum & Intuit Dome – Inglewood, Calif.
- Christy Castillo, Butcher SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, Hollywood Park – Inglewood, Calif.
- David Kells, Bridgestone Arena – Nashville
- Jay Cooper, T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, Mo.
- Jeff Nickler, Moody Center – Austin, Texas
- Laurie Jacoby, Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Randy Fibiger, Madison Square Garden – New York
About Pollstar Magazine
Pollstar Magazine focuses primarily on the concert industry and 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 37th Annual Pollstar Awards are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 15 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.
###
