Latest news with #MusiCaresPersonsoftheYear
CNN
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Grammys and FireAid concerts expected to raise over $120 million for LA fire relief
The music industry came together for an ambitious Los Angeles fire relief effort the week of the Grammy Awards that is estimated to have raised more than $120 million. Of that, $9 million raised during the Grammys telecast on Sunday night, a representative for the Recording Academy told CNN. Host Trevor Noah made calls for charitable donations throughout the show that aired on CBS, both to viewers watching from home and also to guests inside the arena. QR codes were at each seat inside the venue, as well as displayed on-screen during the Grammys broadcast. Another $15 million was raised at Grammy-related events last weekend, including Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala on Saturday evening, MusiCares Persons of the Year and the Special Merit Awards. A Recording Academy representative told CNN that money raised during the Grammys will be split between MusiCares, Direct Relief, the California Community Foundation, the Pasadena Community Foundation. (MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, is funding ongoing initiatives to support music professionals in need.) The FireAid benefit concert last Thursday, which featured artists like Billie Eilish, Gwen Stefani, Green Day and Pink, is expected to exceed $100 million in proceeds, the FireAid organization announced in a press release on Tuesday. Held at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the performances garnered more than 50 million viewers across 28 streaming platforms, per the organization. Funds were raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, merchandise sales, donations from the public and large private donations from the Azoff family, the Eagles, U2, Andrew Hauptman, Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, as well as Steve and Connie Ballmer, who matched every pledge made during the broadcast. 'FireAid funds will support the Los Angeles-region's immediate needs and long-term recovery from the recent wildfires made possible through the overwhelming generosity of those throughout Southern California and around the world,' the release stated. Speaking to CNN days before the Grammys, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and the show's executive producer Ben Winston explained why they were continuing with the show during a time of so much loss and devastation in Los Angeles. 'We know we've got the biggest stars in the whole world that are sitting there, and we bring real awareness to what's happened. We do some really serious fundraising for the causes that need it so much right now. We pay tribute to our first responders. We showcase LA businesses,' Winston said about the show. 'Some of our community, from the music community, have lost their homes. They've lost their instruments,' Mason Jr. added. 'I know one guy that lost his entire studio. All his collections, all his instruments, and this is how they make a living.' Sunday's Grammy ceremony received a largely positive reception with critics for successfully blending music's biggest night with philanthropic efforts.
Los Angeles Times
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The Grammys and FireAid concerts raised $125 million for fire relief
Last week's Grammys and the massive FireAid benefit concerts raised close to $125 million for relief efforts in the wake of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Thursday's FireAid concert, held at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood, featured sets from more than 30 artists including Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day and Joni Mitchell. The event raised a formidable $100 million from an estimated 50 million viewers tuning in across 28 streaming platforms. The total includes matching donations from the venues' owner Steve Ballmer and family, along with donations from music biz heavyweights the Azoff family, rockers U2 and the Eagles and others. In a statement about how the funds will be dispersed, FireAid's organizers said that 'The FireAid Grants Advisory Committee, composed of longtime LA-region philanthropic leaders with deep relationships in the non-profit community, have been working to identify key areas of need, for maximum impact. Led by the Annenberg Foundation, the committee has been listening daily to affected communities, assessing local resource gaps to ensure aid reaches those most in need, and researching the handling of other fire disasters, such as those in Maui and Northern California. The first phase of grants are expected to be awarded by mid-February.' Meanwhile, the Grammys and affiliated events raised a combined $24 million toward fire relief, with $9 million coming from Grammy night and $15 million from MusiCares events during Grammy week, including its annual MusiCares Persons of the Year gala honoring the Grateful Dead, and other events during Grammy week. MusiCares is currently offering short-term financial assistance for music professionals affected by the fires, alongside Recording Academy partnerships with Direct Relief, California Community Foundation and Pasadena Community Foundation. The fires were a core theme of Sunday's Grammys telecast, with local firefighters presenting the award for album of the year to Beyoncé and an opening medley from the L.A. rock band Dawes, who lost homes and studios in the Eaton fire.
CNN
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Grammys and FireAid concerts expected to raise over $120 million for LA fire relief
The music industry came together for an ambitious Los Angeles fire relief effort the week of the Grammy Awards that is estimated to have raised more than $120 million. Of that, $9 million raised during the Grammys telecast on Sunday night, a representative for the Recording Academy told CNN. Host Trevor Noah made calls for charitable donations throughout the show that aired on CBS, both to viewers watching from home and also to guests inside the arena. QR codes were at each seat inside the venue, as well as displayed on-screen during the Grammys broadcast. Another $15 million was raised at Grammy-related events last weekend, including Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala on Saturday evening, MusiCares Persons of the Year and the Special Merit Awards. A Recording Academy representative told CNN that money raised during the Grammys will be split between MusiCares, Direct Relief, the California Community Foundation, the Pasadena Community Foundation. (MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, is funding ongoing initiatives to support music professionals in need.) The FireAid benefit concert last Thursday, which featured artists like Billie Eilish, Gwen Stefani, Green Day and Pink, is expected to exceed $100 million in proceeds, the FireAid organization announced in a press release on Tuesday. Held at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the performances garnered more than 50 million viewers across 28 streaming platforms, per the organization. Funds were raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, merchandise sales, donations from the public and large private donations from the Azoff family, the Eagles, U2, Andrew Hauptman, Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, as well as Steve and Connie Ballmer, who matched every pledge made during the broadcast. 'FireAid funds will support the Los Angeles-region's immediate needs and long-term recovery from the recent wildfires made possible through the overwhelming generosity of those throughout Southern California and around the world,' the release stated. Speaking to CNN days before the Grammys, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and the show's executive producer Ben Winston explained why they were continuing with the show during a time of so much loss and devastation in Los Angeles. 'We know we've got the biggest stars in the whole world that are sitting there, and we bring real awareness to what's happened. We do some really serious fundraising for the causes that need it so much right now. We pay tribute to our first responders. We showcase LA businesses,' Winston said about the show. 'Some of our community, from the music community, have lost their homes. They've lost their instruments,' Mason Jr. added. 'I know one guy that lost his entire studio. All his collections, all his instruments, and this is how they make a living.' Sunday's Grammy ceremony received a largely positive reception with critics for successfully blending music's biggest night with philanthropic efforts.
