Pollstar

Not to be confused with Polestar (disambiguation).
Pollstar
CategoriesTrade magazine
FrequencyWeekly
Founded1981 (1981)
CompanyOak View Group
CountryUnited States
Based inLos Angeles, California
LanguageEnglish
Websitepollstar.com
ISSN1067-6945

Pollstar is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry.[1] The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017.[2]

Pollstar holds an annual award ceremony to honor artists and professionals in the concert industry.[3][4][5]

History and profile

Founded in 1981 in Fresno, California, Pollstar is a trade publication that covers the concert industry in the United States and internationally.[6] They supply information to professional concert promoters, booking agents, artist managers, facility executives and other entities involved in the live entertainment business. Pollstar produces a weekly print magazine for industry professionals and publishes on their website.

Pollstar previously operated a separate website for professionals,[7] but later announced it would merge the site with Pollstar.com.[8]

Today, Pollstar has an office in London and correspondents in six countries. The magazine is a member of the Associated Press (AP). Its subscribers receive the weekly magazine and access to its online databases.[1]

In May 2018, Pollstar announced it was moving its headquarters from Fresno to Los Angeles.[9] The following month, co-founder and editor-in-chief Gary Bongiovani retired from the publication.[9]

Pollstar also produces Pollstar Live!, a three-day concert industry conference at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA.[10] Originally titled the CIC – Concert Industry Consortium,[11] it brings together a mix of talent buyers, venue managers, artist agents and managers.[12] Conference speakers have included Garth Brooks, Jon Bon Jovi, Eddy Cue, Michael Rapino, and Nicki Minaj.[13][14]

Pollstar Awards

Since 1990, the publication has given annual Pollstar Awards to companies, venues, artists, tours, and executives in the live entertainment business. The first awards show was hosted by Penn Jillette at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[15]

Initially, winners were chosen by industry voters and, to a lesser extent, by the magazine's subscribers.[6][16] Since 2019, Pollstar has used box office performance to choose the winners.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Pollstar is the Concert Industry's leading business trade publication, publishing for more than 25 years". Music Week. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  2. ^ "It's official: Oak View Group acquires Pollstar". IQ Magazine. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  3. ^ "Morning Report; Arts and Entertainment Reports From the Times, News Services and the Nation's Press". Los Angeles Times. February 13, 2002. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.[1]
  4. ^ Caro, Mark (January 24, 1992). "Cubby Bear named venue of the year by Pollstar". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  5. ^ Hunkin, Joanna (December 5, 2007). "Vector Arena nominated for top concert venue award". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c "Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé & Jay-Z, Paradigm Agency Win Big at Pollstar Awards". Yahoo! Finance. February 15, 2019. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  7. ^ "Oak View Group Acquires Pollstar". VenuesNow. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  8. ^ "Pollstar Sale Hits a Snag With Massive Website Project". Amplify. February 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Pollstar Moving From Fresno to Oak View Group's HQ; Co-Founder to Retire". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  10. ^ Baltin, Steve (February 13, 2019). "Dave Grohl Compares Billie Eilish to Nirvana in 1991". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  11. ^ "Pollstar announces inaugural Pollstar Live! conference for 2010". TicketNews. September 15, 2009. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  12. ^ Frankenberg, Eric (February 14, 2019). "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger: Touring Executives Discuss 'The Great Slump of 09' & Its Lasting Impact at Pollstar Live!". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  13. ^ "Pollstar Conference Draws Top Talent, Live Music Luminaries and a Little Controversy". Variety. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  14. ^ Hissong, Samantha (February 6, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Sounds Off on Trump, Regrets and Fake Retirement in Wild Talk". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  15. ^ Speer, Debbie (August 9, 2019). "Gary Smith Rides Into The Sunset After 38 Years Leading Pollstar - Pollstar News". Pollstar. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  16. ^ "Pollstar Awards". www.pollstar.live. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.