(LOS ANGELES) – Chairman Dana Davis and Honorary Chairman Barbara Davis announced that GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, AMA, and Emmy Award-winning group Little Big Town will perform at the 40-year anniversary of The Carousel Ball. The event will take place on Oct. 3, 2026, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Proceeds from the gala benefit the Colorado-based Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes and its world-renowned research programs aiming to prevent and ultimately cure the chronic life-threatening disease of type 1 diabetes. The event is presented by Dexcom, the global leader in glucose biosensing.
“We are honored to welcome Little Big Town to this year’s Carousel Ball,” said Dana Davis, Event Chairman, and Barbara Davis, Honorary Chairman. “For nearly five decades, the Carousel Ball has brought together an incredible community united by one goal—to improve the lives of people living with type 1 diabetes and help accelerate research toward better treatments, prevention, and ultimately a cure. We are deeply grateful to Little Big Town for joining us in support of this special evening.”
The Carousel Ball celebrates the life-changing work of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes has accomplished and brought to the forefront of diabetes care, as well as the exciting research and influential moments the Barbara Davis Center has been a part of since its inception in 1978. Past performers have included Usher, Lenny Kravitz, Reba McEntire, Lionel Richie and more – with the Goo Goo Dolls performing at last year’s event.
Little Big Town—composed of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook—are one of country music’s most enduring and celebrated groups. Over a 25-year career, the GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, AMA, and Emmy Award-winning band has delivered a string of genre-defining hits including “Boondocks,” “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “Day Drinking,” and the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015, “Girl Crush.”
Their acclaimed albums Tornado, PainKiller, The Breaker (which debuted at No. 1 and featured the GRAMMY-winning “Better Man”), Nightfall, and Mr. Sun have produced multiple No. 1 singles and earned widespread critical praise. The band recently introduced their next chapter with the releases of “Hey There Sunshine” and “Over and Over,” the first songs unveiled from their forthcoming 12th studio album, It’s A Dying Art, arriving August 28 via MCA. Co-produced by Karen Fairchild and two-time GRAMMY winner Gena Johnson, the project embraces the sound and spirit of human-made music through intimate storytelling, emotional balladry, and collaborations with Ashley Monroe, Jason Isbell, and Kelsea Ballerini.
To date, Little Big Town has amassed more than 45 major award nominations and taken home over 20 wins across GRAMMYs, CMAs, ACMs, AMAs, People’s Choice Awards, and an Emmy. With the upcoming release of It’s A Dying Art, Little Big Town continues to build on a legacy as one of country music’s most respected and influential groups.
This year’s Founder’s Award recipient is Kevin Sayer, whose visionary leadership and steadfast support of the diabetes community has made an incredible and lasting impact. Kevin is a transformative leader in the global diabetes industry, recognized for helping redefine how people manage diabetes through continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). He has been involved in improving care and quality of life for people with diabetes since he joined MiniMed, Inc. as its Chief Financial Officer in 1994. Most recently, Kevin served as Dexcom’s Chief Executive Officer from 2015 to 2025, after joining the Company’s Board of Directors in 2007 and then moving to a full-time position of President and Chief Operating Officer in 2011. During this period, he guided Dexcom through rapid growth, global expansion, and a series of industry firsts that reshaped the standard of care. These milestones include the first hypoglycemia alert, the launch of the Dexcom Follow app to keep caregivers and loved ones connected to real-time glucose data, the elimination of finger sticks for diabetes treatment decisions, and global CGM reimbursement expansion—ultimately improving quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
His tenure was defined by strategic vision and a relentless focus on putting people with diabetes at the center of innovation. He has always said that the most rewarding experiences of his diabetes career are meeting Dexcom users and their families and learning about their journeys with diabetes. He now serves as Executive Chairman of Dexcom’s Board, continuing to provide strategic oversight and leadership.
Dana Davis added, “Kevin’s impact on the diabetes community cannot be overstated. As someone who has lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 50 years, I have seen firsthand how innovations like those championed by Kevin have changed lives. We are honored to recognize his leadership, vision, and dedication to helping people with diabetes live healthier, fuller lives.”
This milestone year marks the 40-year anniversary of The Carousel Ball, where guests will enjoy dinner, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, silent & live auctions, an exciting program and entertainment. Since its inception in 1978, the iconic event has been a Hollywood favorite, uniting entertainment, sports, and business industry leaders from all areas for a night dedicated to raising awareness and, ultimately, finding a cure for diabetes. Diabetes, which afflicts over 463 million people, is rapidly on the rise. Each year, approximately 64,000 Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Of those, approximately 30,000 are children. The Annual Carousel Ball has raised more than $119 million to date, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Funds are raised through sponsorships, dinner tickets, a live and silent auction, and contributions.
The 2026 Carousel Ball is proudly presented by Dexcom, a company empowering people to take control of health through innovative glucose sensing technology. Underwriting support is provided by Sanofi. Additional sponsorship generously provided by 5280 Magazine, the Official Media Sponsor of The Carousel Ball, Summit Construction & Consulting, Dependable Cleaners, MannKind Corporation, Eva Schoonmaker, 7Cellars Wines by John Elway, and the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. CBS Colorado is the Broadcast Partner and KBCO is the Radio Partner of The Carousel Ball.
