GENE SIMMONS To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award At IEBA 2026

IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) will honor legendary musician, entrepreneur and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons with its Lifetime Achievement Award during the IEBA 2026 Honors & Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, October 6 at The Pinnacle Nashville. The ceremony will serve as the culmination of IEBA's 56th annual conference, taking place October 4-6 at Grand Hyatt Nashville and The Pinnacle.

Founded in 1970, IEBA is the leading not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment professionals who buy, book and sell talent. Its membership includes talent buyers, agents, promoters, venue executives, casino entertainment buyers, fair and festival professionals, corporate entertainment buyers, service providers, educators and young professionals. With more than 2,200 members representing billions of dollars in buying power, IEBA provides a forum for networking, education, professional development and relationships that move the live entertainment industry forward.

"Gene Simmons embodies the kind of lasting impact the IEBA Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize," says Brian Wagner, executive director of IEBA. "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."

IEBA's annual conference assembles talent buyers, agents, promoters, venue executives, festival producers, fair organizers, and other live entertainment professionals for three days of networking, education, and business development. As the live industry's leading trade organization, IEBA offers members access to the latest market intelligence while fostering relationships and ideas that help drive business across the entertainment landscape.

Simmons was born Chaim Witz in August 1949, at Rambam Hospital in Haifa to Jewish immigrants from Hungary. He was the son of Holocaust survivor Flora Klein and a father, Feri Witz, who soon abandoned his family, leaving them penniless prior to emigrating to America in search of a better life.

Simmons is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and media mogul. He has achieved success that reaches far beyond his music career, extending into television shows, films, publishing, merchandising, worldwide restaurants, consumer products, and more.

Gene was inspired to become a rock star when he first saw a televised performance by THE BEATLES. He formed several bands and then met fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley in 1970 and they formed the group WICKED LESTER. In the winter of 1972, with a desire to create the "ultimate" rock band, not just "another" rock band, Simmons and Stanley formed KISS with original band members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Inspired by his love of comic books and horror films, Simmons conceived the concept of his face paint. The addition of elaborate costumes, frenetic stage performances and ostentatious concert effects, catapulted KISS to international stardom and a coveted position as one of the most recognized rock and roll bands in the world.

Since their inception, KISS has developed millions of fans around the world, also known as the KISS Army. With over 100 million CDs and DVDs sold worldwide, KISS sold out stadiums and arenas around the world for five decades, breaking box-office records set by Elvis Presley and THE BEATLES.

KISS was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 and in 1999 received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Merchandising giant Simmons's keen business acumen has expanded the KISS brand beyond the stage. With more than 5,000 licensed/merchandised items, KISS has generated more money from merchandising and trademark deals than any other band in music history.

More recently, Gene launched Gene Simmons MoneyBag soda — a new line of sodas made with all natural flavors, colors, and pure cane sugar, and packaged in painted bottles.

Simmons is renowned and sought after worldwide as a notable and opinionated media commentator on a diverse range of topics from politics to business.

Photo courtesy of Gene Simmons / SRO PR