BANGOR, Maine — Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion has been nominated for Venue of the Year honors by the Academy of Country Music, the organization announced Tuesday.
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion has a capacity of about 16,000 people and has played host in the past few years to some of country music’s most distinguished acts.
Waterfront Concerts LLC owner Alex Gray said that the more than 100,000 music fans who attended pavilion concerts last year helped the venue achieve a ranking among some of country’s best concert sites. Gray noted that his business has been in operation for six years.
“We are very lucky that we are in this company [of nominees]. It is a testament to the fan base that we have here. We are very lucky to have those fans. They make my job of booking concerts very easy,” Gray said Tuesday.
“They support the artists who come here,” Gray added. “Those artists know that when they come here, they are going to get a very warm reception.”
The pavilion was nominated for the same award in 2014 in the large venue category but did not win.
This year’s other nominees are: Blossom Music Center of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Gorge Amphitheatre of Quincy, Washington; Klipsch Music Center of Noblesville, Indiana; and Xfinity Center of Mansfield, Massachusetts.
The Industry Award and Studio Recording Award honorees will be feted at the 10th Annual ACM Honor event at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville this fall. The Bangor venue and other industrial award nominees will not be part of the 51st ACM Awards televised on CBS at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 3.