Amid the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, many major studios have offered donations and aid to help support recovery efforts. The current death toll, as of Sunday evening, is 24. Over 150,000 people have been displaced with many people losing their homes. Currently, over 12,000 structures have been damaged. As the fires continue, Hollywood studios are finding ways to contribute and help the community. Below is a current roundup of the pledges that have been made so far.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery committed $15 million for immediate response and rebuilding efforts, a company spokesperson announced Monday.
“For the more than one thousand impacted employees, we are continuing
to help by paying for hotel rooms and temporary housing, rental cars,
meals, counseling, and are establishing an onsite emergency relief
center,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our studio has called Burbank home for more than 100 years, and we are focused on what needs to be done to help those impacted rebound from this disaster and rebuild in the weeks, months and years ahead.”
Comcast NBCUniversal
Comcast NBCUniversal is donating a total of $10 million dollars towards wildfire relief. The company announced in a statement on Monday that they are giving $2.5 million in funding as an inaugural corporate partner to the Habitat of Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD LA initiative.
The company said additional contributions will be made to organizations offering ground support including short and long-term assistance. These corporations include the American Red Cross, Entertainment Industry Foundation SoCal Fire Fund, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.
Netflix
Netflix also announced on Monday that the company will be donating $10 million to aid fire relief efforts. According to a statement made by co-CEO Ted Sarandos, the donations will be split between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Community Fund Wildfire Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, Motion Picture and Television Fund and the Entertainment Community Fund.
The company also said they will be directly assisting employees who have been impacted by the fires with housing needs as well as double-matching any employee charitable contributions through the company’s employee giving program.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company said they will be donating $15 million to immediate response and rebuilding efforts. They said that donations will be distributed to organizations including the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, among others. The company is also offering assistance for any employees directly impacted by the fires.
In a statement, CEO Bob Iger touched on the profound impact Los Angeles has had on the company.
“Walt Disney came to Los Angeles with little more than his limitless imagination, and it was here that he chose to make his home, pursue his dream and create extraordinary storytelling that means so much to so many people around the world,” Iger said. “We are proud to provide assistance to this resilient and vibrant community in this moment of need.”
Paramount
Paramount has donated $1 million dollars to help aid wildfire relief efforts. Their donations will be split between organizations like the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen and Best Friends Animal Society.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is offering aid to employees who have been directly impacted by the fires. TheWrap learned that Warner Bros. Discovery has had over 1,300 employees impacted by the fire and at least 20 staffers have lost their homes. The company has set up a hotline to help employees get hotel rooms and meals while they have to be evacuated.
Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation has also donated $1 million dollars to the American Red Cross’ California Wildfire relief fund. The company is also encouraging viewers to help donate to efforts during broadcasts.
The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy and MusiCares pledged $1 million dollars to help support music professionals who have been impacted and have launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort. In a statement made by Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares, he said how he hopes their efforts will help the community.
“The music community is being so severely impacted, but we will come together as an industry to support one another,” Mason Jr. said. “Our organizations exist to serve music people because music is a powerful force for good in the world, and we hope the broader industry will now rally to this cause.”
As of Jan 21, MusiCares already raised $3.2 million dollars and distributed $2.2 million to people in need. The FireAid concert and MusiCares Person of the Year Benefit is expected to raise even more for wildfire relief.
Sony
Sony donated $5 million dollars to support relief and rebuilding efforts. The company didn’t specify which organizations it would be contributing to but stressed a focus on supporting first responders and community relief.
Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and president and COO Hiroki Totoki shared a joint statement, saying, “Los Angeles has been the home of our entertainment business for more than 35 years. Through our many thousands of employees, partners and friends based there, our roots run deep in this community.”
Amazon
Amazon announced it would be donating $10 million dollars to relief efforts through its entertainment division. The division includes Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Amazon Music, as well as Ring and Whole Foods Market.
The company said it would be donating directly to national and local disaster organizations including the American Red Cross of Southern California, FireAid, MusiCares Fire Relief Effort, The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Small Business Relief/Recovery Fund along with many others.
Amazon also shared that to date the company has donated over 145,000 essential items to 17 local organizations working on the fire response. Amazon will also deploy their AWS cloud technology, which includes drone support that are meant to help emergency responders understand and react to the ongoing wildfire containment.
The Hollywood Pantages Theatre & James L. Nederlander
The Nederlander Organization, who owns and operates The Hollywood Pantages Theatre announced a $125,000 dollar donation to be split amongst five key charities. These organizations include the Los Angeles Firefighters Foundation, Los Angeles Police Foundation, Entertainment Community Fund, Project Angel Food and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids
The theater said the donation reflects their commitment to support the arts, along with local communities and those in need. Each organization was chosen because they’re unique in the ways they offer assistance amid the ongoing wildfires.
Spectrum
Spectrum donated a total of $2.5 million dollars to help aid wildfire relief efforts. The company shared that $500,000 will be split between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region and the California Foundation.
Additionally, $1 million dollars was committed to helping small businesses in the area through their Spectrum Community Investment Loan Fund. The remaining $1 million will be used for public service announcement (PSA) airtime that will support nonprofit organizations working on wildfire relief efforts.
The company has also established a microsite to facilitate employee donations to the American Red Cross.
The Producers Guild of America
The Producers Guild of America announced they are partnering with the Entertainment Community Fund to establish a fund that will support producers of film, television and emerging media that have been affected or displaced by the wildfires. So far, $300,000 has been committed. The Guild also said they will contribute a portion of net proceeds from the upcoming Producers Guild Awards to the fund.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy has donated $250,000 dollars that was originally planned for the 2025 Oscar Nominees Luncheon to the Motion Picture & Television Fund. The event was canceled amid the ongoing wildfires. This brings a total of $1 million dollars in contributions from the MPTF to wildfire relief efforts.
YouTube and Google
Youtube announced it would be partnering with Google to donate $15 million dollars to organizations focused on providing immediate fire relief. In a joint statement, the companies said these organizations include the Emergency Network Los Angeles, American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Google also said it is focused on providing accurate information about the ongoing fires through their products like Google Search and Google Maps. Additionally, Youtube said that it plans to offer production facilities to creators and artists who have been impacted by the fires once it’s safe to reopen their LA offices.
Los Angeles Area Art Museums led by the J. Paul Getty Trust
The J Paul Getty Trust formed a coalition of major arts organizations and philanthropists to create the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund. The fund has already launched with $12 million dollars and will continue to grow. Other organizations involved include the Mohn Art Collective (Hammer Museum, LACMA and MOCA), The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Qatar Museums as well as the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation and East West Bank.
The emergency fund will be for artists and arts workers who have lost residences and studios during the Los Angeles fires. Beginning Monday, January 20, workers in these disciplines can go to http://www.cciarts.org to apply for an emergency grant. The fund will be administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation.
Live Nation and Crew Nation
Live Nation has donated $1 million dollars through its global relief fund Crew Nation. The donation will assist performing musicians, live music crew, and live music industry workers who have been impacted by the fires. Crew Nation has opened up grant applications of up to $5,000 to individuals currently employed within the music industry facing displacement expenses. Those seeking support can apply for Crew Nation Fund grants here.
Additionally, Live Nation is supporting impacted employees from Los Angeles through its Taking Care of Our Own Program. The company is also partnering with FireAid for a benefit concern on Thursday, January 30 to help rebuild communities and support fire prevention. The concert is set to take place at both the Intuit Dome and The Kia Forum.
Gibson and Guitar Center
Gibson pledged an initial donation of $250,000 dollars to help wildfire relief efforts. Through its philanthropic division, Gibson Gives, the instrument brand will also support the recovery of music programs and musicians who have been impacted by the fires. The funds will go to relief efforts and humanitarian aid organizations around Los Angeles.
Gibson and Guitar Center also worked to enlist prominent music manufacturers to help musicians who have lost instruments in the fires get replacements. Los Angeles musicians who lost their instruments and gear can reach out and apply here now through February 28th 2025.
