NASHVILLE'S RYMAN AUDITORIUM
VIES FOR “THEATRE OF THE YEAR” AWARD

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 29, 2009) – Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium will vie for the title of “Theatre of the Year” at Friday’s Pollstar Concert Industry Awards in Los Angeles, California.  The Ryman is one of only seven venues nominated in the category. Other nominees include New York City’s Beacon Theater and Radio City Music Hall; the Chicago Theatre; Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Florida; Atlanta’s Fox Theater; and last year’s winner, the Nokia Theatre L.A, also the location of the awards show. This marks the seventh consecutive nomination for the Ryman. The Ryman took home the award for both 2003 and 2004.

The annual Pollstar Awards, now in their 20th year, include 32 categories that honor touring acts, promoters, agents, managers, venues and production companies. Nominees are selected from the votes of 100 industry members who cannot submit or vote for their own clients.

The Ryman Auditorium is famous as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74 and as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” but its concert schedule regularly features a diverse range of music genres. 2008’s concert line-up included sold-out shows by Van Morrison, B.B. King, Mark Knopfler, George Jones, The Temptations with the Four Tops, Merle Haggard, The Raconteurs, Ray LaMontagne, Jason Mraz, and Harry Connick Jr. Other notable events that took place at the Ryman in 2008 include Levon Helm’s Ramble at the Ryman DVD taping, The Americana Awards, and the CMT Giants Alan Jackson tribute.

About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium was built as a church in 1892, served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74, and was completely renovated in 1994.  The Ryman, voted Pollstar’s Theatre of the Year for both 2003 and 2004 and one of the Top Ten “Best Live Music Venues” in the nation by Citysearch patrons, continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in live entertainment.  The Ryman Auditorium is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates the Gaylord Hotels and the Grand Ole Opry brands. For more information visit www.ryman.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.

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