Six outstanding entertainment industry professionals will be recognized by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) at its Second Annual NATD Honors gala on Nov. 14. Country star Tanya Tucker and award-winning Christian artist Michael W. Smith will be on hand to help with the honors.
The NATD Honors gala will be held on Nov. 14 at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. Pete Weber, voice of the Nashville Predators, and Stephanie Langston, TV reporter/personality, will co-host this year's event.
Along with Tucker and Smith, others helping to honor the recipients are Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz, banjoist, composer and bandleader Béla Fleck, industry veteran Bob Kinkead and manager Dale Morris.
This year's NATD honorees are:
Mike Fisher, Nashville Predator player and NHL Foundation Award recipient, who also happens to be the husband of country superstar Carrie Underwood
Clint Higham, Morris Management Group president
John Huie, CAA Nashville agent
George Jones, the country music icon who died last year
Alan Valentine, Nashville Symphony president & CEO
Robert S. Williams, WBA Entertainment president, who will receive the Hubert Long Award. Named after one of the most influential and multi-dimensional industry executives in country music history, the Hubert Long Award is presented to individuals who have made a significant and positive contribution to the music industry relating to artist development.
The 2012 honorees were chosen by the NATD Board of Directors, led by President Steve Tolman of LogiCom.
"Our goal is to recognize the work that these individuals have done to help better the community around them," the NATD said in a press release. "Not only are they leaders in their chosen professions but they believe in continuing and supporting education which is one of our main goals at NATD."
Past honorees include Alabama, Tony Conway, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, James H. Gosnell Jr. and Barry Trotz.
The NATD Honors begins with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner and ceremony at 7:15 p.m. Tickets for the event are sold-out.
