Lighting Designer Tom Kenny utilised Elation lighting for both the indoor and outdoor stages at the 2024 CMT Music Awards earlier this spring.
The lighting package, supplied by 4Wall, included PROTEUS EXCALIBUR, ARTISTE MONDRIAN, and DARTZ 360 luminaires, among other fixtures.
Broadcast from the Moody Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin, performances took place inside and on an outdoor stage in front of the iconic University of Texas Tower. The lighting direction for the indoor show was by Felix Peralta, David “Fuji” Convertino, and Michelle Griesmer, with Han Henze and Matt Piercy handling lighting direction on the outdoor stage. The production design was by Anne Brahic and the 2024 edition was her 15th year working the awards show.
Kenny was in his 12th year designing for the CMTs and his experience and proven approach are integral to the successful team effort. After familiarising himself with the songs, he works closely with the production team regarding camera angles to make sure the lighting looks compelling for the millions of at-home viewers, and after rehearsal time tweaks the lighting to ensure the artist is fully satisfied. Video was a dominant aspect of the look and the designer worked purposefully with colour to blend lighting with video, harmonising the LED screens with complementary lighting.
Elation lighting was prominently featured, where IP65-rated PROTEUS EXCALIBUR beam effects were required to withstand rain while lighting up the entire skyline. “I love these fixtures,” Kenny said, he placed the EXCALIBURS upstage on the deck, behind the band. “Their power and luminance had to be dialled back to avoid overwhelming the scene. It’s great when a light is already too bright and it’s all up to the designer to correct it.”
Additional to the Elation package were DARTZ 360 LED beam/spot fixtures, their size and light weight allowed Kenny to position them throughout the house and on the University walls in the outdoor rig. “It’s always an interesting life being a lighting designer for CMT as they’re always breaking the rules on where a location should be,” Kenny commented. “It’s what makes these shows fan favourites.”
Production Designer Anne Brahic highlighted the city of Austin and its Congress Street Bridge with an asymmetrical set that extended to the heights of the venue and into the audience.
To cover the space, a lighting package was used to light both set and talent, and included Elation’s 51,000-lumen ARTISTE MONDRIAN LED profile fixture. The MONDRIAN were used both in the main show and throughout the outdoor rig at UT tower. “The Mondrians cut through the strong video sources with the strong palettes created by Trevor Burke and Kat Folts,” Kenny remarked.
