Ali Harnell

Global Touring Promoter, Live Nation Entertainment
President & Chief Strategy Officer, Live Nation Women

Ali Harnell is Global Touring Promoter for Live Nation Entertainment and President & Chief Strategy Officer for Live Nation Women, a division focused on the advancement and advocacy for women in the industry. Harnell joined Live Nation in 2019 and has produced tours for Oprah, Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Alabama Shakes, and many more. In 2020 Harnell executive produced the Grammy-nominated song “A Beautiful Noise,” the musical collaboration between Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile and six other female songwriters to celebrate women’s suffrage which was used in Get Out the Vote campaigns in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections. Harnell spent 15 years as SVP at AEG Presents prior to joining Live Nation where she oversaw national tours, ran the Southeast regional division of the company, and co-founded and curated international country music festival Country2Country.

Harnell began her career in New York City working for legendary concert promoter Ron Delsener as a talent buyer before moving to Nashville in 1996 as Vice President of Pace Concerts Southeast. There she revived concert activity at the historic Ryman Auditorium, booked Starwood Amphitheater, and co-created Nashville River Stages Music Festival.

In 2024 Harnell was Save the Music’s Hometown to Hometown honoree. Shas twice been named IEBA’s Promoter of the Year and a Venues Today’s Woman of Influence. She is a six-time Billboard Women in Music honoree, four-time Billboard Nashville Power Player, as well as a Billboard Change Agent, and has been named on the Nashville Business Journal “Women in Music City” list six times. She was inducted into the Pollstar Woman of Live Hall of Fame in 2024 after being a four-time honoree and in 2015 was Ambassador of the Year for TJ Martell. Harnell has received multiple nominations for CMA and ACM Promoter of the Year, Pollstar’s Talent Buyer of the Year, and the Bill Graham Promoter of the Year. She is an active fundraiser for multiple nonprofits producing large-scale benefit events annually.

Harnell serves on the Boards of MusiCares, Music Artists Coalition, Lifebeat/Elizabeth Taylore AIDS Foundation, as an Advisor to Save the Music, Women in Music, She is the Music, and We Are Moving the Needle, and is a Voting Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Music Industry Advisory Board aims to ensure that students have access to a diverse set of successful music professionals, so they are aware that there is more to the industry beyond being on the main stage. Our mission is to close the gap for the next generation of music industry professionals to create a more inclusive and diverse future.