The Recording Academy and CBS’ decision to turn the 67th Annual Grammy Awards into a fundraising event has paid off. The awards weekend raised over $24 million for wildlife relief efforts as well as other charitable organizations.
Grammys Sunday alone raised nearly $9 million.
That weekend number included MusiCares’ annual fundraising tribute concert, which took place on Friday night and honored The Grateful Dead, as well as the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday. The awards themselves also featured several tributes to emergency workers and those impacted by the fires and was intercut with commercials from L.A.-based businesses affected by the fires.
Music’s biggest night started with a performance from the Los Angeles-based rock band Dawes, who lost their homes and equipment to the disaster. Standing alongside Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Brad Paisley and St. Vincent, they performed a cover of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” which was later released as a benefit single.
The Grammys aren’t the only way the music industry has stepped up to help Los Angeles in the wake of this devastating natural disaster. Last Thursday, several titans in the industry such as Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart and Earth, Wind & Fire came together for FireAid, a benefit concert that was produced by Shelli, Irving and the Azoff family along with Live Nation and AEG Presents. Altogether, the event is estimated to have raised more than $100 million, which will go to both short-term relief efforts and longer-term preventative measures.
Due to the deadly January fires, 29 lives were lost and more than 16,000 homes and buildings were destroyed. AccuWeather has estimated that the financial toll of this disaster caused more than $250 billion in total damage and economic loss.
