Casino Entertainment Awards to be streamed live Thursday

T

he eighth annual Casino Entertainment Awards, the official awards exclusively honoring outstanding casino artists, executives and venues nationwide, will be live as a virtual award show on Thursday, 19 November 2020, at 8 p.m. Eastern online on the CEA Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Hosted by award-winning Las Vegas entertainer Zowie Bowie, the broadcast will feature guest appearances by Kelly Clinton, Celine Dion, Crystal Gayle, Hon. Carolyn Goodman, Lee Greenwood, Clint Holmes, Don McClean, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Wayne Newton, Oak Ridge Boys, Tony Orlando, Piff The Magic Dragon, Jennifer Romas, Murray Sawchuck and Pia Zadora.

Casino Entertainment Legend Awards, which recognize lifetime achievement in the casino entertainment industry, will be presented to concert promoter John Meglen and country music artist Lee Greenwood. An ACM, CMA and Grammy award winner, Lee Greenwood has released more than 20 major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts. He is known for his patriotic signature song “God Bless the U.S.A.” John Meglen is President & Co-CEO of Concerts West, a global touring division of AEG Presents. A music industry veteran, Meglen has promoted casino tours for Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones, Brad Paisley, Katy Perry, Chris Young and many other A-list artists.

Casino Entertainment Awards will be presented to artists, executives and venues in nine categories in casino entertainment. Selected from more than 1,500 online nominations, the nominees for 2020 CEAs include:

Casino Entertainer of the Year

• Patti LaBelle
• Johnny Mathis
• Barry Manilow
• Pitbull
• Reba, Brooks & Dunn

Casino Comedian of the Year

• Ken Jeong
• Jo Koy
• Sebastian Maniscalco
• Adam Sandler
• Sinbad

Casino Musical Artist of the Year

• 98 Degrees
• Pepe Aguilar
• The Beach Boys
• Lorrie Morgan
• REO Speedwagon

Casino Production Show of the Year

• The Clairvoyants
• Fantasy
• Price Is Right Live
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Thunder From Down Under

Casino Entertainment Executive of the Year

• Chris Baldizan, MGM Resorts International
• Damian Costa, Caesars Entertainment
• Tammy Kite, Golden Nugget Casino
• Joe Lupo, Hard Rock Atlantic City
• Dan Pferschy, Aqua Caliente Resort Casino Spa

Casino Showroom/Theater of the Year

• Encore Theater at Wynn
• The Music Box, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
• Mystic Lake Showroom, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
• Pechanga Theater, Pechanga Resort Casino
• The Show, Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa

Casino Arena/Amphitheater of the Year

• BECU Live, Northern Quest Resort & Casino
• Hard Rock Live at Mark G. Etess Arena, Atlantic City
• Hard Rock Live, Hard Rock Hollywood
• Ovation Hall, Ocean Resort Casino
• Park Theater at Park MGM Las Vegas

Casino Booking Agent of the Year

• Adam Kornfeld, AGI
• Mark Roeder, WME/Nashville
• Darius Sabet, UTA
• Seth Shomes, UTA
• Christianne Weiss, APA

Independent Casino Talent Buyer of the Year

• Judy Alberti, Alberti Entertainment LLC
• Jordan Huneryager, C3 Presents
• Leslie Master, Live Nation Entertainment
• Michael Scafuto, The M&M Group
• Danny Zelisko, Danny Zelisko Presents

Established in 2013, the CEA awards gala was traditionally held at the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino during Global Gaming Expo week in Las Vegas, but shifted this year to a livestream broadcast due to pandemic restrictions.

“Although most casino arenas, showrooms and other entertainment venues are closed due to the pandemic, we are pleased to still be able to honor the outstanding casino artists, executives and venues nationwide that were active during the nomination period of April 2019 to March 2020,” said Traci Peel, CEA producer. “Awards presenters are pre-recorded with an emcee opening the awards envelopes in a Vegas recording studio to reveal this year’s CEA recipients. In show business tradition, the show always goes on.”