VENUE OF THE YEAR

The Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN

Originally built as a church by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892, the Ryman Auditorium has since come to be known as the 'Mother Church of Country Music' and was once home to the famous Grand Ole Opry. The Opry moved to its current location at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in 1974, leaving the Ryman empty for many years. In 1994, the auditorium was restored to be the national showplace that it is today, functioning as a museum during the day and continuing its more than 100-year tradition of offering top-notch live entertainment every night. The Ryman stage has hosted many music legends throughout its rich history, from Roy Acuff and Gene Autry to Bruce Springsteen and Carrie Underwood. Officially registered as a National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium is owned by Gaylord Entertainment, a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates Gaylord Hotels and the Grand Ole Opry.

NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR

Joe's Bar - Chicago, IL

Joe's Bar takes pride in bringing country music to the Windy City of Chicago. From the biggest national acts to aspiring singer/songwriters, Joe's is passionate about bringing the best music in the country to the heartland. Joe's opened in January of 1997 and has had concerts there ever since. Located in the the Weed St. District of Chicago, Joe's is a 20,000 square foot lofted, warehouse-style venue built to impress, yet be comfortable for all. Live country music is Joe's Bar's forte, and making sure the artists and fans have a great experience is the club's mantra. Superstar acts such as Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack are only some of the big names that have rocked the stage at Joe's, making it a music hot spot year-round and well worthy of its first ACM Nightclub of the Year honor.

CASINO OF THE YEAR

Turning Stone Casino - Verona, NY

Sixteen years ago, Turning Stone opened its doors and became the first casino in the Oneida Indian Nation. Starting as just a small casino and a couple of restaurants, it has since developed into a world class resort featuring four hotels, two entertainment venues, a destination spa, a sports complex, 21 restaurants and five golf courses - three of which are nationally-ranked championship courses and one of which is home to the PGA Tour's Turning Stone Resort Championship. The resort brings more than four million guests to central New York every year, ranked as one of the top five tourist destinations in the state. Turning Stone has earned AAA four-diamond ratings for The Lodge, The Tower Hotel and Wildflowers restaurant. In addition to being named the ACM Casino of the Year for 2008, Turning Stone has also been recognized as "Most Excellent Resort" by Condé Nast Johansens in 2007.

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR

Fran Romeo - Romeo Entertainment

Longtime entertainment executive Fran Romeo is co-owner of Romeo Entertainment Group (REG), a national full-service talent buying agency that has been in business for more than 50 years. Founded by Romeo's father in 1954 as the Don Romeo Agency, the company has grown into one of the country's foremost producers of entertainment programming. REG generates more than 500 shows each year for fairs, rodeos, casinos, festivals and corporate events. Romeo's extensive background in the family business and her previous singing and songwriting career have added to her broad spectrum of the entertainment industry. This covers everything from talent buying, artist development, tour management and marketing. She has received many accolades during her career, including two ACM Talent Buyer of the Year awards and the 2002 IEBA Talent Buyer of the Year title. In addition to her executive position at Romeo Entertainment Group, Romeo also serves on both the International Entertainment Buyers Association and the Academy of Country Music Board of Directors.

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

Louis Messina - The Messina Group

Louis Messina is the founder and principal of The Messina Group/AEG Live. Currently based in Houston, Messina is the son of a boxing promoter and began his own career as an independent promoter in New Orleans.  After moving to Houston in 1975, Messina co-founded Pace Concerts (a division of Pace Entertainment) and created a veritable empire of live entertainment that encompasses many of the industry's largest musical events and tours such as Ozzfest, Texxas Jam, Van Halen's Monsters of Rock and the George Strait Country Music Festival. Messina formed The Messina Group in 2001, revamping the national tour circuit with superstar acts including Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Sugarland and Taylor Swift. The company eventually joined with AEG Live, acting as the country music arm of the entertainment conglomerate. Overseeing the South region, Messina continues to bring the biggest names in country music to sold-out venues across the country and won his third ACM award this year.