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Regional Winners Announced for Lighting Hometown Heroes

PLSN is pleased to announce the Regional Winners of the Lighting Hometown Heroes. All six regional winners are now the finalists for the Parnelli Hometown Hero – Lighting Company of the Year Award. The six top regional lighting companies in North America—one for each of five U.S. regions, and a sixth for all of Canada were voted on by the industry as they narrowed the field from 36 to the six regional winners.

The six regional winners will appear on the Parnelli Awards ballot as finalist when the ballot goes live Oct. 28, 2024 for the 23rd Parnelli Awards voting. The winner, voted on by PLSN and FOH magazine subscribers, will receive the Parnelli Award for Hometown Hero – Lighting Company of the Year at the Parnelli Awards ceremony on January 24th in Anaheim, CA.Read More »Regional Winners Announced for Lighting Hometown Heroes

Final Week to Nominate Hometown Hero

This is the final week to make your nomination for the Lighting Hometown Hero! Each year, PLSN honors regional lighting production companies with our Hometown Hero award. This award honors the best regional lighting production company in six regions across North America: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, and Canada. This award—from nominations to winners—is selected by you, the entertainment technology industry, because you truly know who the Hometown Heroes are in the industry.

Hometown Hero Nominations 2024, Open to Everyone

Each year, PLSN honors regional lighting production companies with our Hometown Hero award. This award honors the best regional lighting production company in six regions across North America: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, and Canada. This award—from nominations to winners—is selected by you, the entertainment technology industry, because you truly know who the Hometown Heroes are in the industry.

Hometown Hero Nominations 2024 Now Open!

Each year, PLSN honors regional lighting production companies with our Hometown Hero award. This award honors the best regional lighting production company in six regions across North America: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, and Canada. This award—from nominations to winners—is selected by you, the entertainment technology industry, because you truly know who the Hometown Heroes are in the industry.

Last Chance: Nominations for Regional Hometown Heroes Close Aug. 25

Each year, PLSN honors regional lighting production companies with our Hometown Hero award. This award—from nominations to winners—is selected by PLSN readers. The winning company will receive the Parnelli Hometown Hero Lighting Company of the Year Award on Jan. 26, 2024 in Anaheim, CA during NAMM. But hurry, nominations close soon. The deadline is this Friday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m. PDT.

Music Matters Productions 20th Anniversary

Learn more about Music Matters Productions, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary in business this year. From a middle school music education business, MMP has grown by leaps and bounds from small stages in the Atlanta, GA area to supporting festivals, productions, and tours across the U.S. 

In Memoriam: Bob Roach, Lighting Industry Veteran, 67

Bob Roach

Robert David Roach, 67 of Longwood, FL, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on March 7, 2023. Bob had recently been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and received a successful bone marrow transplant from his son, Mike. Sadly, in his weakened state he contracted pneumonia and was not able to rebound from it. He was born in Johnson City, TN on March 25, 1955 to John and Josephine Roach who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by brothers John and Jim Roach.Read More »In Memoriam: Bob Roach, Lighting Industry Veteran, 67

Regional Winners Announced for PLSN Hometown Hero

The readers of PLSN have spoken and we are pleased to announce the Regional Winners of the PLSN Hometown Heroes who are now the finalists for the Parnelli Hometown Hero – Lighting Company of the Year Award. PLSN readers voted for their choice of the six top regional lighting companies in North America—one for each of five U.S. regions, and a sixth for all of Canada. This narrowed the field from 36 to six regional winners, who will appear on the Parnelli Awards ballot. The ballot goes live Jan. 16, 2023 for the 21st Parnelli Awards voting. The winner will receive the Parnelli Award for Hometown Hero – Lighting Company of the Year at the Parnelli Awards ceremony on April 14th in Anaheim, CA.Read More »Regional Winners Announced for PLSN Hometown Hero

Upstaging’s Early Days: Kids Lighting Kids

In the early days for Upstaging, now marking 50 years, the company’s main work was lighting a lot of small, local shows. “We worked with a lot of local bands. We did Styx, who back then were playing high schools in the Chicago area every Friday and Saturday night,” notes Don Carone, who founded Upstaging with his brother Robert along with their friend Robin Shaw. Follow the link to learn more about the bands Upstaging lit in those early days.

Upstaging Celebrates 50 Years

Live entertainment lighting and trucking company Upstaging marked its 50th anniversary in 2022. During the past half century co-founders, brothers Robert and Don Carone, and Robin Shaw, joined in 1979 by John Huddleston, have turned Upstaging from a garage-based pioneer into a stalwart of the industry. The four share with PLSN some of their reflections growing a company alongside the concert touring industry—the beginnings, the milestones, and what they hope people know about Upstaging today.

New Initiative—The Ruth Foundation for the Arts—Announces Initial Grants

The Ruth Foundation for the Arts (Ruth Arts) has debuted in the landscape of arts philanthropy with the announcement of its inaugural grantmaking cycle. The new foundation is supported by a bequest from the late Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, and expects to award grants totaling more than $17 million annually. The first class of Ruth Arts grantees—an initial round of funding that precedes the regular giving cycles that the organization will embark upon later this year—includes 78 nonprofit arts organizations that have been awarded a total of $1.25 million in funding. These individual grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 each.Read More »New Initiative—The Ruth Foundation for the Arts—Announces Initial Grants