History alumna Kate D. McMahon (BA, '91, history) is the recipient of the 2026 Illini Comeback Award from the University of Illinois Alumni Association.
The Illini Comeback Award invites prominent and accomplished alumni back to the campus to participate in various activities during Homecoming Weekend, with a focus on providing opportunities for honorees to interact with current students, sharing information about their professional experiences and the value of their University of Illinois education.
Through her work with Messina Touring Group and Anschutz Entertainment Group, McMahon leads a team that brings in more than $1.1 billion in concert grosses, promoting music industry giants such as Kenny Chesney, Ed Sheeran, and George Strait. She got her start marketing concerts as a member of the university’s oldest student-run organization, Star Course.
McMahon has been involved in routing, booking, and marketing for Chesney since 2002 and Strait since 1996. She played an instrumental role in Chesney becoming the first country artist to have a residency at Sphere in Las Vegas. For Strait, McMahon marketed his 30-plus Las Vegas engagements, as well as his stadium shows. In 2024, she helped Strait set a U.S. attendance record—previously held by The Grateful Dead—when 110,905 fans packed Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
McMahon’s first job out of college was with the Chicago-based Jam Productions, marketing shows throughout the Midwest. In 1996, she landed her dream job in Houston, working for Louis Messina at PACE Concerts as part of the concert marketing team, and eventually working for PACE Touring. She founded Messina Touring Group with Messina and her husband in 2001.
McMahon has been honored with the Billboard Women in Music Award (2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, and 2025), the Venues Now Women of Influence Award (2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024), and the Pollstar Marketing and PR Executive of the Year Award (2018). In 2022, she was named to the Impact 50 list, which recognizes the 50 most influential people in music touring.