STEPHANIE LANGSTON AND BRAD SCHMITT TO EMCEE THE 8TH ANNUAL NATD HONORS GALA PRESENTED BY CAA AND THE GRAND OLE OPRY ON NOVEMBER 7
Honorees Include Bill Anderson, Stan Barnett, MercyMe, George Moffett, Kathleen O’Brien and Ray Shelide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 22, 2018) – The Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) has announced WKRN’s Stephanie Langston and The Tennessean’s Brad Schmitt will co-host this year’s 8th Annual NATD Honors Gala, presented by Creative Arts Agency (CAA) and the Grand Ole Opry. The gala is scheduled for November 7, 2018, at the Hermitage Hotel. Tickets for the gala can be purchased here.
NATD President Steve Tolman commented, “Stephanie has been with us every year since we started this event and we’re excited to have her back! It’s also wonderful to welcome back longtime industry veteran Brad Schmitt to our event which brings appreciation and heartfelt emotion to the intimate Hermitage ballroom every year.”
Honorees being awarded for their accomplishments and service to the Nashville entertainment industry include: Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry star Bill Anderson, legendary CAA agent Stan Barnett, award-winning Christian band MercyMe, Variety Attraction’s George Moffett, President & CEO of TPAC Kathleen O’Brien, legendary APA agent Ray Shelide.
The gala will begin with a reception at 6:00 PM, followed by dinner and the awards ceremony. For tickets and sponsorship information, visit www.n-a-t-d.com.
About NATD
The Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) was founded in 1958 and professionally represents, directs, and promotes the entertainment industry through its members. Today those members generate over $300 million dollars annually for Nashville-based artists. The organization not only serves as a forum for idea exchange among its members, it also serves as a vehicle for other facets of the industry to share information vital to the overall growth of the Nashville music and entertainment industry. NATD members foster camaraderie among “friendly competitors” which seems to be unique to the close-knit Nashville music and entertainment community. As part of its philanthropic program NATD provides scholarship funds for students showing exemplary performances in academics, civic duties, and personal goals. For more information, please visit www.n-a-t-d.com.
About Stephanie Langston
As a Nashville native, Stephanie has been working on and off at WKRN for more than a decade holding positions as an Associate Producer, Entertainment Reporter, Video Journalist and morning Anchor. Stephanie is an Emmy nominated TV journalist who has covered nearly every star-studded event in Music City. Stephanie has been voted “Best of Nashville” TV personalities in the Nashville Scene and nominated among the Best TV Anchor/Reporters in the Tennesseans Toast of Music City. You may also recognize her from the big screen, as Stephanie played a Reporter in the movies Country Strong, Furious 7, Logan Lucky and the TV series Nashville.
About Brad Schmitt
Brad Schmitt writes the Inside Nashville column for The Tennessean, getting powerful, personal stories from Music City’s movers and shakers. Olympic ice skating champ Scott Hamilton has told Brad about adopting children from Haiti. Mt. Zion Baptist Church’s Bishop Joseph Walker shared the painful story of his first wife’s deadly battle with cancer. Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall revealed that he once found himself in the back of a police car when Hall was a teen. Brad comes to the job with his own story. He spent 12 years writing celebrity column “Brad About You” for The Tennessean before joining WKRN-News 2 as an entertainment reporter. During his TV reporter days, Brad was convicted twice in three years for drunken driving. Brad got fired, and he went to jail and rehab before getting into recovery from substance abuse in 2010. The Tennessean offered the “Inside Nashville” column to Brad four years later. Since then, Brad tries to bring the same authenticity and vulnerability he uses in recovery to his columns.
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