Grammy Awards to Proceed as Planned, Recording Academy Says
The 2025 Grammy Awards will proceed as planned on February 2, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told members in a letter Monday morning, assuring that the show will go on at Crypto.com Arena early next month as Los Angeles currently faces the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires.
With the Grammys about three weeks away, Mason Jr. and Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Tammy Hurt told Academy members in the letter that the annual awards show will also act as a charitable evening to help with relief efforts.
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“In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th GRAMMY Awards telecast on CBS on February 2nd will proceed as planned,” Mason Jr. and Hurt wrote in the letter. “This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”
The wildfires have devastated much of Los Angeles, killing a confirmed 24 people as of Monday morning while destroying thousands of homes. About 150,000 people had to evacuate to escape the fires, and evacuation orders remain in place in areas closest to the flames.
Hundreds of artists and industry insiders have lost their houses, recording studios, and equipment, and the industry has stepped up to help with relief. MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s non-profit aimed at providing assistance to the music community in times of grief, pledged $1 million last week to establish its Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort.
“In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” Mason Jr. and Hurt wrote. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
In a typical year, Grammy Week is the biggest week in the music business, with much of the industry flocking to Los Angeles in the days before the show to attend lavish parties all over the city. With the ceremony still a few weeks away, it’s unclear how celebratory the industry will feel come Grammy Week this year. MusiCares’ annual gala is currently proceeding as planned, a representative confirmed. As of now, other annual parties like the annual Clive Davis Gala and Spotify’s Best New Artist showcase haven’t announced any changes yet, and representatives haven’t responded to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
Others in the business have cast concerns both about the optics and logistics of the events. Songwriter management company Milk and Honey already confirmed over the weekend that their party has been canceled. In an Instagram story, Milk and Honey’s CEO and founder Lucas Keller implored other companies to do the same, calling it “tone deaf to celebrate.”
“Don’t come to town for the Grammys and take up hotels that people need desperately,” Keller wrote. “Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares to support wildfire relief, everything counts.”
By Monday afternoon, Universal Music Group, the world’s largest record company, announced that it would cancel all its Grammy-related events. The company said it would “redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires.”
“Our deepest gratitude goes to the first responders and emergency personnel, who continue to perform heroically,” UMG said. “L.A. is home to so many of us. We are committed to helping and supporting the music community, our artists, our teams, and the people of Los Angeles get through this horrific episode.”
A rep for fellow “big three” record company Warner Music Group also confirmed to Rolling Stone that it wouldn’t have a party this year and is directing funds to relief. The company announced Sunday that it pledged $1 million to relief efforts.
By Tuesday morning, a rep for Sony Music had confirmed that the company would cancel all their Grammy events as well. Sony Group, Sony Music’s parent company, announced on Monday that it pledged $5 million for emergency relief efforts.
BMG, one of the music business’s largest indie music companies, also decided Tuesday afternoon to cancel their Grammy party. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters and first responders in Los Angeles County who are working tirelessly to contain the fires,” the company said.
By Thursday, Spotify, whose annual Best New Artist party is one of the biggest events each Grammy Week, confirmed that it would cancel its events as well, with global head of music partnerships and audience Joe Hadley writing in an announcement that the company would be redirecting its funds to support relief efforts. Hadley said Spotify has committed $5 million between donations to Spotify, the FireAid benefit concert and a partnership with GoFundMe.
“While this year will look and feel different,” Hadley said of the coming Grammy week, “our commitment to emerging artists is unwavering.”
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