Madonna, U2 lead Touring Awards finalists

Ceremony will be held in New York on Nov. 5

By Ray Waddell, Billboard

Oct 15, 2009, 06:09 PM ET

Madonna, U2 and AC/DC are among the finalists for the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards, which will be handed out at a special reception in New York on Nov. 5. The awards are based on global boxoffice numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2009.

The finalists for the Top Tour and Top Draw awards, which acknowledge the top grossing and ticket selling tours, respectively, are the same three global treks: U2's 360 tour, Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour, and AC/DC's Black Ice tour.

The Top Package award goes to the top-grossing tour with three or more artists on the bill. Finalists include five-time winner Kenny Chesney for his Sun City Carnival tour with Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland and Montgomery Gentry on the bill; the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 with Jordin Sparks, Honor Society and Wonder Girls; and Nickelback for their Dark Horse tour, with Hinder, Papa Roach, and Saving Abel on board.

The Breakthrough Award goes to the top-grossing artist in their first decade as a national headlining act. Four artists enjoyed remarkable touring breakthroughs this year: Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, Kings Of Leon, and Il Divo. Dane Cook, Robin Williams, and French & Saunders are finalists for the Top Comedy Tour.

Finalists for the Top Boxscore award, which goes to the top-grossing single engagement for the time period, are U2 at Croke Park in Dublin, U2 at Stade de France in Paris, and the Oxegen fest at Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, Ireland.

Global concert mega-promoters Live Nation and AEG Live are joined by Sao Paulo promoter Time 4 Fun (T4F) as finalists for the Top Promoter award. T4F is also a finalist, with MCD and Australian promoter Michael Coppel Presents, in the international independent promoter division.

Four-time winner Jam Productions in Chicago, 2007 winner C3 Presents in Austin, and Madison, Wis.-based Frank Productions are the finalists for Top Independent Promoter, U.S.

Other than the Boxscore-related awards, the Billboard Touring Awards also includes the Concert Marketing & Promotion Award and the Eventful Fans' Choice Award, both of which are determined by online voting. Additionally, Ozzy Osbourne will be named 2009 Legend Of Live, and Warped founder Kevin Lyman will receive the Humanitarian Award.

Here is the complete list of finalists for the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards:

Top Tour
AC/DC, Black Ice tour
Madonna, Sticky & Sweet
U2, 360

Top Draw
AC/DC
Madonna
U2

Top Package
Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Honor Society, Wonder Girls
Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum (Sugarland, Montgomery Gentry)
Nickelback with Hinder, Papa Roach, Saving Abel

Breakthrough
Il Divo
Kings Of Leon
Lil Wayne
Taylor Swift

Top Comedy Tour
Dane Cook
French & Saunders
Robin Williams

Top Boxscore
Oxegen Festival, Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, Ireland, July 10-12
U2, Croke Park, Dublin, July 24-27
U2, Stade de France, Paris, July 11-12

Top Festival
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, Tenn.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Indio, Calif.
Oxegen Festival, Naas, Ireland

Top Arena
Acer Arena, Sydney
Madison Square Garaden, New York
O2 Arena, London

Top Venue -- Under 10,000 Seats
Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City
Radio City Music Hall, New York
The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York

Top Venue -- Under 5,000 Seats
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Beacon Theatre, New York
Fox Theatre, Atlanta

Top Club
9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
House of Blues, Boston
The Fillmore, San Francisco

Top Ampitheater
Comcast Center, Mansfield, Mass.
Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto
Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J.

Top Promoter
AEG Live
Live Nation
T4F

Top Independent Promoter (U.S.)
C3 Presents, Austin, Texas
Frank Productions, Madison, Wis.
Jam Productions, Chicago, Ill.

Top Independent Promoter (International)
MCD, Dublin
T4F, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Michael Coppel Presents, Australia

Humanitarian Award
Kevin Lyman

Legend Of Live
Ozzy Osbourne

Madonna, U2 lead Touring Awards finalists

Ceremony will be held in New York on Nov. 5

By Ray Waddell, Billboard

Oct 15, 2009, 06:09 PM ET