The 21st Annual Parnelli Awards ceremony is indeed the one night a year we shine the spotlight on those who spend their careers away from it, toiling backstage. And the evening wouldn’t be possible without our forward-thinking, industry-supporting sponsors. We extend a sincere thank you to all our wonderful sponsors!
PLATINUM SPONSOR
DiGiCo is again our Platinum Sponsor. DiGiCo’s audio pioneer and technical director, John Stadius, received the 2018 Parnelli Audio Innovator Award. This year, Mollie Autherson, who is a tech in their R&D department, is a NextGen honoree.
GOLD SPONSORS
4Wall Entertainment first became a Parnelli Awards Sponsor in 2017. A provider of entertainment equipment rentals, sales, and services. 4Wall today has 14 offices worldwide. Handling theater, concert touring, events and corporate productions, they offer a wealth of expertise.
All Access Staging and Production has been part of the Parnelli Awards since the first gala. They’ve been involved in a few other important shows, too … most recently they built the massive stage for Rihanna’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show. They have two nominations this year.
Bandit Lites’ founder Michael T. Strickland was honored with the Parnelli Visionary Award at our 19th show. His company’s good work and his support for the Parnelli Awards is overshadowed by his fierce defense of this industry during the pandemic.
d&b audiotechnik started humbly in 1981 in a small village near Stuttgart Germany, today there are over 500 d&b co-workers and a world of d&b distribution partners on hand to help customers access the d&b System reality.
Elation Professional is sponsoring the Parnelli Awards for the ninth time. Over the years the company has received several nominations of their products in the Indispensable Technology category, and this year is no exception: their Proteus Rayzor Blade is on the ballot.
Environmental Lights is a new supporter of the Parnelli Awards. Founded in 2006, Environmental Lights was built with a focus on engineering solutions. Their scenic LED lighting is increasingly part of award shows, TV/stage productions, and other live events.
G2 Structures has been a supporter since 2017. They are nominated for Staging Company of the Year for their work on the successful Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe tour. Other clients include Billy Joel, Chris Stapleton, Guns & Roses, and Maroon 5.
Gallagher Staging & Productions became a sponsor the year after it formed, in 2013. In 2020, the company’s CEO Joey Gallagher joined the Parnelli Board of Advisors. They are nominated in the set construction company of the year category for their work on the Ghost tour.
Harman Professional brands include BSS, dbx, Crown, JBL, Martin, AKG, and Soundcraft, and Martin has supported the Parnelli Awards since the first show with the Harman Professional family joining in the eighth show.
Hirschbach is another new sponsor to the Parnelli Awards but is not new to trucking. The carrier has delivered state-of-the-art transportation solutions for over 80 years. In June of 2021, they acquired Xtreme Transportation, and look forward to working with the live entertainment industry.
ImageSFX is also a new sponsor to the Parnelli celebration. Clients include Kid Rock, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, Heart, Sam Hunt, and Guns N’ Roses. They specialize in special effects in the touring and large-scale events worlds. They are nominated this year for their work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
IntelliEvent is yet another who joins the new Parnelli sponsor list this year. They are a cloud-based rental business management software that helps rental companies, venues, and AV/production professionals manage every aspect of their business.
Meyer Sound joined the Parnelli sponsor family in 2011. But the company’s connection to the award show goes back before that. In 2004, the Audio Innovator lifetime achievement honor debuted, and Meyer founder, John Meyer, was the first to receive it.
Music Matters Productions started as a music instrument store and pivoted to live events, which seems to be working out pretty well for them as they are nominated in the Hometown Hero category for Sound this year. This is their first time sponsoring.
NAMM’s longtime President/CEO Joe Lamond has been a strong supporter of the Parnelli Awards since we partnered with him starting in 2017. Joe is winding down his career at NAMM to move onto other adventures and we wish him well – and we are grateful for all the support he and his team have given us over the years.
NovaStar, returning to the Parnelli Awards, is a global leading LED display solution provider. They were a prominent part of the Bejing 2008 Olympic opening ceremony, and more recently they were part of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Pyrotek Special Effects have been supporters since show number 15. A leading provider of incredible effects, they are nominated this year for their work on the Hella Mega Tour (Fall Out Boy/Green Day/Weezer).
Robe is a longtime supporter and Parnelli sponsor. The lighting manufacturer has also been a Parnelli nominee multiple times for their products in the Indispensable Technology Award’s Lighting category, winning in 2016. They are nominated this year for their BMFL FollowSpot.
Rock-it Global’s David Bernstein received the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement honor last year. A constant nominee and frequent winner of the “Freight Forwarding” honor, Rock-it has supported our gala gathering dating back to 2013.
ROE Visual has been a frequent sponsor. They are on some of the biggest tours, including Justin Bieber’s recent outing. They are often nominated in the Indispensable Technology category, as they are this year for their Vanish V8T LED Panel.
Screenworks/NEP founder Danny O’Bryen is a video pioneer who received the Parnelli Visionary honor at the 16th Parnelli show, the first Visionary award to go to a video professional. This year they are nominated for Video Production Company of the Year for their work with Bad Bunny.
SES/SET returns as a Gold Sponsor, and are noted for their uncommon proficiency in audio, lighting, design, video, staging and live event production. SET is known for their trucking – and are nominated in that category this year.
Solotech first came on as a sponsor in 2011. They are frequently nominated in many categories, and this year they have received the Lighting Company of the Year and Video Production Company of the Year nods, both for their work with The Weeknd.
Sound Image has been sponsoring the Parnelli Awards almost from the beginning. Company co-founder and President, Dave Shadoan was honored (along with Sound Image co-founder Ross Ritto, posthumously) with the Audio Innovator Award in 2012. They are once again nominated for Sound Company of the Year.
Stageline founder Yvon Miron received the Parnelli Visionary Award in 2019, and his company is also a steadfast supporter of the annual ceremony. They are nominated this year in the newly renamed: Indispensable Technology – Staging & Effects category for their ST100 LED Screen Trailer.
Strictly FX has earned the Parnelli Pyro Company of the Year 12 times. Founded in 1996 by Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee, today Strictly FX has offices in Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles. They are nominated this year for their work with Billie Eilish.
SILVER SPONSORS
Advanced Entertainment Services are often nominated in the Parnelli Special Effects category. Based in Las Vegas, AES serves a wide variety of markets within our industry, with clients including Carnival, Cirque du Soleil, X Games, and many corporate clients.
Brown Note Productions is often nominated in the Hometown Hero category and took a Parnelli Award home in 2013, as well as in 2017 and 2018. The Denver-based company is again nominated in the category for Hometown Lighting Company of the Year.
Gateway Studios & Production Services is new, but their people and their passion are not. This is their first time sponsoring the Parnelli Awards. Based in St. Louis, they are busy building a production services and rehearsal facility. They are nominated for Set Construction Company of the Year for their work with Brandi Carlile.
Global Trend Productions recently celebrated their 25th anniversary as a full AV rental source specializing in event video rental and sales. CEO Isaac Campos, who started out as a DJ playing college parties and nightclubs, today leads them handling concert, festivals, and tours in addition to corporate work and installations.
Hemphill Brothers Coach Company’s co-founder Joey Hemphill is frequently in the audience at the Parnelli Awards and has taken home the Coach Company award often. The company first became a sponsor at the 8th Parnelli show.
On Tour Logistics has been providing exemplary transportation and logistics services to the industry since 1971. They first became a Parnelli sponsor for the 18th annual ceremony.
See Factor first became a Parnelli sponsor in 2009, and founder Bob See was one of the early Parnelli board members. See took home the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement honor in 2004. Many came out of the “See School” including our former PLSN editor, Nook Schoenfeld.
Shockwave Cargo has been recognized with numerous Parnelli Award nominations over the years and are nominated again this year. The company is known for its team of cargo logistics experts and 200 agents globally.
COCKTAIL SPONSORS
Allen & Heath is celebrating their nomination for their Avantis Console, V1.2 in the IT category. It’s the third mixer based on their 96kHzXCVI FPGA engine with a 64 channel/42 configurable bus console.
CHAUVET Professional, which has been a sponsor since 2009, has also won Parnelli Indispensable Technology awards for their innovative lighting products. They first won in 2012 and were most recently honored in 2019. This year they are nominated for a Parnelli “IT” award in the lighting category for their STRIKE M Strobe/Wash.
Harlequin Floors is another first-time sponsor of the show. Their advanced technology flooring has made them a world-wide corporation. This year they are nominated in the Indispensable Technology Staging & Effects category for their Harlequin Liberty Switch.
Tyler Truss is once again a returning sponsor. Since 2004, they have served the live event industry well and are always proud to say their products are American made. They are nominated this year for their GT Truss in the “IT” Staging & Effects category.
PRODUCTION PARTNERS
Access Event Solutions has been supplying tickets, bracelets, and/or backstage laminates since show number one. They design and manufacture event credentials for all live events, and clients include Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, the New England Patriots, the San Francisco Giants, and Live Nation.
Atomic has been dressing up the stage and providing elegant set pieces for the gala since show number 12. Parnelli Board of Advisor member, Rob Barber, always likes to say they enjoy helping with putting on a “proper show” for those who spend their professional lives behind the scenes.
PRG has been a Parnelli Awards production partner for the Parnelli Awards since 2007. In 2006, PRG founder Jere Harris was honored with the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award. This year they are nominated for Lighting Company of the Year for their work with Post Malone.
TPI’s CFO Michael O’Keefe attended his first Parnelli show in 2008, and immediately offered to help with the next one. With his Parnelli Award-winning wife, Liz, and the TPI team, they have been making the show better every year since then. The St. Louis-based production house has re-invented itself post-COVID offering streaming services, design and production, and installations.
