# Gene Simmons Gets IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award

> KISS co-founder Gene Simmons to receive IEBA lifetime achievement honor at 2026 ceremony
- Title: Gene Simmons Gets IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award · Billboard
- Summary: KISS co-founder Gene Simmons to receive IEBA lifetime achievement honor at 2026 ceremony Gene Simmons will get IEBA lifetime achievement award for KISS's…
- Keywords: gene simmons, kiss, ieba, lifetime achievement award, rock and roll hall of fame, chubby checker, gil cunningham, talent buyer, live entertainment, nashville, pinnacle nashville, history channel
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/pro/kiss-gene-simmons-award-ieba-2026-conference
- Author: Paul Grein
- Published: 2026-09-18T23:55:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gene simmons, kiss, ieba, lifetime achievement award, rock and roll hall of fame, chubby checker, gil cunningham, talent buyer, live entertainment, nashville, pinnacle nashville, history channel
## Gene Simmons' Legacy
KISS co-founder Gene Simmons will receive IEBA's lifetime achievement award at the 2026 Honors & Awards ceremony in Nashville

> Gene Simmons embodies the kind of lasting impact the IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize
## KISS's Impact
KISS helped transform live concerts into global spectacles and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014

> KISS didn't simply build a catalog of iconic music; they changed the scale and possibilities of the live concert experience
## 2026 IEBA Ceremony
The ceremony will honor KISS and the 2026 IEBA Hall of Fame class on October 6 in Nashville

> Gene's vision for connecting music, performance, spectacle and brand has influenced generations of artists
## Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker, known for 'The Twist', was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025

> Chubby Checker represents something that every talent buyer understands, the extraordinary value of an artist who can connect with an audience generation after generation
## Gil Cunningham
Gil Cunningham, a veteran talent buyer, earned multiple IEBA and ACM honors including his fifth ACM buyer of the year in 2025

> Gil has done that throughout his career, while giving back to this organization and mentoring the people coming behind him
## IEBA Hall of Fame
The IEBA Hall of Fame recognizes industry professionals who have shaped live entertainment since 2010

> Great buyers combine knowledge and instinct with relationships, trust and a willingness to take a chance on an artist
## Key takeaway

Gene Simmons will get IEBA lifetime achievement award for KISS's impact on live entertainment