Gene Simmons is getting the IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award on October 6 at The Pinnacle Nashville, closing out the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s 56th annual conference. If you’ve never heard of IEBA, it’s the organization behind the scenes of live entertainment, the buyers and bookers who decide which artists end up on stages across the country. So when they honor someone with a lifetime achievement award, it carries real weight.
Simmons, who co-founded KISS and has been inducted into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received Kennedy Center Honors in 2025, is being recognized for reshaping the scale and possibilities of the live concert experience. The same ceremony will induct Chubby Checker into the IEBA Hall of Fame, celebrating an artist whose“The Twist”hit number one twice, in 1960 and 1962, before entering the National Recording Registry in 2012. Veteran talent buyer Gil Cunningham is also being inducted after more than 37 years in live entertainment and his fifth ACM buyer of the year honor in 2025.
The honors ceremony caps an event that runs October 4-6 in Nashville, bringing together the industry professionals who make the concerts you love happen. Three legends, one night, and a whole lot of respect for the business behind the music.
Who’s the one artist you’d give a lifetime achievement award to? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.