Gene Simmons to Receive IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award in Nashville

The International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) will present KISS co-founder Gene Simmons with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the IEBA 2026 Honors & Awards Ceremony. The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at The Pinnacle Nashville.

The awards presentation will close out IEBA’s 56th annual conference, which runs from October 4 through October 6 across the Grand Hyatt Nashville and The Pinnacle.

• Ceremony date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at The Pinnacle Nashville
• Conference dates: October 4 to 6, 2026, at Grand Hyatt Nashville and The Pinnacle
• IEBA membership: more than 2,200 professionals across the live entertainment industry

What IEBA Said About Honoring Gene Simmons

Brian Wagner, executive director of IEBA, said the honor fits Simmons’s career. “Gene Simmons embodies the kind of lasting impact the IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize,” Wagner said. “KISS didn’t simply build a catalog of iconic music; they changed the scale and possibilities of the live concert experience. Gene’s vision for connecting music, performance, spectacle and brand has influenced generations of artists and live entertainment professionals, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate that legacy at IEBA 2026.”

BTE, Inc., the California talent agency that represents Simmons, shared news of the award on social media. The agency called it one of its proudest moments across more than 20 years in business and noted its long-standing relationship with IEBA.

Gene Simmons’s Path From Haifa to KISS

Simmons was born in August 1949 at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish immigrants from Hungary. His mother, Flora Klein, survived the Holocaust, while his father, Feri Witz, left the family before they later moved to the United States.

Simmons met Paul Stanley in 1970, and the pair first played together in a band called Wicked Lester. In the winter of 1972, Simmons and Stanley formed KISS alongside original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

KISS’s Legacy in Music and Merchandising

KISS has sold more than 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide and has filled stadiums and arenas on tours spanning five decades. Simmons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 after receiving a star with the rest of the band on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999.

Beyond music, KISS has put its name on more than 5,000 licensed and merchandised products, generating more revenue merch and other licensing deals than any other band in music history. Simmons has also branched into other ventures, most recently launching Gene Simmons MoneyBag soda, a line of drinks made with natural flavors, natural coloring and pure cane sugar sold in painted bottles.

More Info

• GENE SIMMONS To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award At IEBA 2026 | Blabbermouth
• GENE SIMMONS Of KISS To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award At 2026 Annual IEBA Conference | bravewords.com
• Gene Simmons To Receive IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award In October | musicrow.com