News

DURANT, OK (April 7, 2025) – Deana Baker, senior entertainment manager of Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant, has been nominated for the Academy of Country Music (ACM) industry award for Don Romero Talent Buyer of the Year award. This is her first time to be nominated for an ACM.

Baker started her career in the entertainment industry in 2005 with Casino Entertainment Unlimited and joined the Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant entertainment team in 2013.

Her outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry have earned her team numerous awards and accolades, making her a true trailblazer in the sector, including three-time Academy of Country Music’s Casino Theater of the Year (2019, 2022 and 2024) and International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) Casino of the Year (2019).

“Deana is dedicated to bringing the top talent to Choctaw Casinos & Resort – Durant and making the Choctaw Grand Theater a premier tour stop for country music entertainers and their fans,”  said Jeff Penz, senior director of gaming and hospitality at Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant. “We are proud to have her on our team and appreciate her dedication to the country music industry and Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant.”

Also nominated for Talent Buyer of the Year are:

• Bobby Clay
• Gil Cunningham
• Weston Hebert
• Stacy Vee
• Taylor Williamson

The ACM Talent Buyer of the Year award will be presented at the 18th Academy of Country Music Honors held in Nashville, Tennessee, in August.

The Choctaw Grand Theater is a 3,000-seat venue that draws crowds from across Oklahoma and Texas for top-notch performances from big names and exciting up-and-comers. Exciting acts scheduled for 2025 include six-time ACM award winner Clint Black, nine-time ACM award winner Little Big Town, and two-time ACM award winners Darius Rucker and Bailey Zimmerman.

Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running Country Music awards show and made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in partnership with Prime Video.

About Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla.

Located an hour north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant is a AAA Four Diamond casino resort, entertainment and convention destination in southeastern Oklahoma. The casino has more than 7,400 slot machines, table games, a poker room, and a large non-smoking casino.  The resort offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and seats more than 3,000 at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award-winning Grand Theater. The resort also includes more than 1,600 luxurious rooms and suites, 20 restaurants, 21 bars and lounges, six retail stores, two fitness centers, a spa, and two outdoor pools and a water park. The family-friendly District offers guests 20 bowling lanes, a 6-screen premier movie theater, 70 arcade games and dining options. Additionally, guests can enjoy the Choctaw RV Park located across from the casino. For more information, visit choctawcasinos.com.

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