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INDUSTRY VETERAN ROB BECKHAM TO RECEIVE 2016 SWAN AWARD
Reba McEntire To Headline 54th Annual Swan Ball, set for June 4, 2016
(Nashville, Tenn. – March 30, 2016) The 2016 Swan Ball in Nashville has announced music industry executive and philanthropist Rob Beckham as the recipient of its prestigious 2016 Swan Award. Beckham, a partner at WME and the co-head of the agency’s Nashville office, will be presented with the award at the 54th Annual Swan Ball, set for June 4, 2016.
Presented annually since 1969 at Nashville’s famed Swan Ball, The Swan Award is bestowed upon individuals distinguished in the arts or by their dedicated service to humanity. Beckham joins a stellar list of previous recipients, including: Martha Rivers Ingram, Bill Ivey, Mrs. Ann Hendricks Bass, The Frist Family, Ann and Monroe Carell, Mrs. Teresa Heinz, Gerald and Florence Van de Kemp, Mr. Kip Forbes, The Honorable Walter H. Annenberg, Dr. Armand Hammer, The Duncan Phillips Family, Mrs. Carroll Petrie, and Veronica Hearst, among others.
Beckham has dedicated nearly three decades to the arts through his work in the music industry, and he is responsible for guiding the careers of many successful artists and providing mentorship to numerous colleagues. He was promoted to his current role, co-head of WME’s Nashville office, in 2011. Under Beckham’s innovative leadership, WME’s Country Music department has flourished at an unprecedented rate. In 2015 alone, WME clients captured 10 of 11 ACM Awards Academy of Country Music’s ACM Awards, 7 of 11 Country Music Association CMA Awards and had more #1 singles on the Billboard Country Radio Chart than any other agency. Billboard dubbed Beckham a “Nashville Power Player” and Variety Magazine named him one of the industry’s top touring agents. He is a three-time nominee for the prestigious CMA SRO Award for Talent Agent of the Year and won the award in 2014.
In addition to his work at WME, Beckham is also active in the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Country Music Association, the TJ Martell Foundation and Make-A-Wish for Middle Tennessee. In 2014, he was named TJ Martell Ambassador of the Year and was honored by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors at its annual gala. In 2015, he edged out other Music Row executives to raise the most money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Pie in Your Face Challenge. He regularly donates his time speaking at events and participating in fundraisers for various local and national charities. A native of Montana, Rob now lives in Brentwood, Tennessee with his wife, Melissa, and his daughter, Ella.
About The 2016 Entertainment: Reba McEntire was recently announced as the headline entertainer for Swan Ball 2016. Multi-media entertainment mogul and mom, Reba McEntire has become a household name with a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. As one of the most successful female recording artists in history, she has sold more than 56 million albums worldwide and scored 35 #1 singles. Her most recent release on Nash Icon Records, LOVE SOMEBODY, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums and the lead single “Going Out Like That” scored the biggest single sales debut of her career. The Country Music Hall of Fame member has won 15 American Music Awards; 13 ACM Awards; 9 People’s Choice Awards; 7 CMA Awards; 2 GRAMMY Awards; an ACM Career Achievement Honor and the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress. She recently joined forces with superstar friends Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn to kick off a one-of-a-kind Country music residency REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The acclaimed actress is also an entrepreneur with a flourishing lifestyle brand and beauty line.
About The Swan Ball: Founded by Mrs. Jane Anderson Dudley and celebrating its 54th year, The Swan Ball is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful events. The fundraising efforts of the Swan Ball annually benefit Cheekwood, a nationally recognized destination renowned for its distinctive beauty, historical significance and excellence in art and horticulture.
About Cheekwood: Cheekwood, beneficiary of the Ball, is a 55-acre estate built by the Maxwell House Coffee fortune in Nashville, Tennessee, and one of the finest examples of an American Country Place Era Estate in the United States. The Botanical Garden is a spectacular showcase of color and horticultural diversity. With 11 specialty display gardens and stunning natural landscapes, every season offers something new. The Museum of Art has Collections of American and Contemporary Painting and Sculpture along with English and American Decorative Arts. Visitors can enjoy year-round family-friendly activities for all ages. For more information, please visit http://www.cheekwood.org/.
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