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 Crypto.com 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.
