KISS co-founder Gene Simmons will receive the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s lifetime achievement award during the IEBA 2026 Honors & Awards ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at The Pinnacle Nashville. The ceremony will serve as the culmination of IEBA’s 56th annual conference, taking place Oct. 4-6, with daytime programming at Grand Hyatt Nashville and nighttime events at The Pinnacle.
As co-founder, bassist and vocalist of KISS, Simmons helped transform the band into a global phenomenon. KISS was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2025.
“Gene Simmons embodies the kind of lasting impact the IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize,” Brian Wagner, executive director of IEBA, said in a statement. “KISS didn’t simply build a catalog of iconic music; they changed the scale and possibilities of the live concert experience. Gene’s vision for connecting music, performance, spectacle and brand has influenced generations of artists and live entertainment professionals, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate that legacy at IEBA 2026.”
The ceremony will also celebrate the 2026 IEBA Hall of Fame class, with inductions honoring legendary entertainer Chubby Checker and veteran talent buyer Gil Cunningham. Established in 2010, the IEBA Hall of Fame recognizes those whose lasting contributions have helped shape the live entertainment industry.
Checker had two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, “The Twist” and “Pony Time.” “The Twist” was the first single to hit No. 1 in two separate chart runs, in 1960 and 1962. It was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000 and the National Recording Registry in 2012. Checker was voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.
“Chubby Checker represents something that every talent buyer understands, the extraordinary value of an artist who can connect with an audience generation after generation,” said Wagner. “His influence extends far beyond an iconic song or dance. He helped change the way audiences participate in live music, and more than six decades later, that connection remains at the heart of what makes live entertainment so powerful.”
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Over more than 37 years in live entertainment, Cunningham has earned recognition from both IEBA and the Academy of Country Music. His honors include IEBA talent buyer, event producer, festival buyer and entertainment buyer of the year, the IEBA president’s award and multiple ACM Don Romeo talent buyer of the year honors, including his fifth ACM buyer of the year recognition in 2025.
Cunningham has served as both president and vp of the IEBA, while also serving the broader industry through leadership roles and committee work with organizations including the Country Music Association and the T.J. Martell Foundation.
“Gil Cunningham represents the very best of the talent-buying profession and of IEBA,” said Barry Jeffrey, IEBA chairman emeritus and WME partner. “Great buyers combine knowledge and instinct with relationships, trust and a willingness to take a chance on an artist before everyone else sees what they see. Gil has done that throughout his career, while giving back to this organization and mentoring the people coming behind him. His impact can be seen in the artists he has championed, the events he has helped build and the professionals whose careers he has influenced.”
The IEBA Honors & Awards ceremony recognizes outstanding achievement across the live entertainment business, with IEBA members selecting winners in categories including club, casino, theater, arena, amphitheater, fair/expo and festival of the year, as well as awards recognizing leading talent buyers, agents, promoters, venue executives, young professionals and music and entertainment industry educators.
The Honors & Awards cap three days of programming, bringing together the professionals who drive the live entertainment business. IEBA 2026 will feature keynote conversations, educational sessions, industry roundtables, networking, agency parties, live performances and the association’s signature Agents Alley, where buyers connect directly with hundreds of agents representing touring talent.
For more information about IEBA and the 56th annual conference, visit the IEBA website.
