The Recording Academy and charity foundation MusiCares have pledged $1 million to support artists and music industry professionals impacted by the ongoing wildfires tearing through the Los Angeles area and displacing residents in the tens of thousands. The organizations have joined forces to form the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort, which is also accepting donations to distribute in addition to their guaranteed $1 million. Music industry workers affected by the Los Angeles County fires can apply for relief here.
“The entire Grammy family is shocked and deeply saddened by the situation that is unfolding in Los Angeles,” Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a press release. “The music community is being so severely impacted but we will come together as an industry to support one another. 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.”
Laura Segura, the executive director of MusiCares, added: “We expect the disaster relief efforts in Los Angeles to be extraordinary, if even just on the basis of how many music people have lost their homes in the last day. MusiCares is always committed to ensuring that music professionals are supported in times of crisis, and we ask for the larger community to donate for those in need at this dire time. MusiCares can help with short term emergent needs for those currently displaced, and then longer-term services as we get a handle on the full extent of how music people are impacted.”
A number of musicians have been displaced due to the blazes, many losing their homes and everything within. GoFundMe pages have been launched to support Diiv’s Zachary Cole Smith, indie rapper Fat Tony, Ought and Cola musician Tim Darcy, and many more.
Speedy Ortiz and Sad13’s Sadie Dupuis posted a link to a spreadsheet of “music industry folks who have lost their homes to the fires.” The spreadsheet includes links to the Smith, Fat Tony, and Darcy fundraisers, among others.
Many other artists have shared links to resources including LAFD Foundation, California Community Foundation, and Mutual AID LA Network, and the Los Angeles Fire Department.
In the press release, the Recording Academy and MusiCares also pointed to additional resources for Los Angeles residents, including the city’s 211LA website, where you can find information about evacuations, road closures, emergency resources, and free shelter through Airbnb. The Red Cross is also operating emergency shelters throughout the greater Los Angeles area. You can find a shelter here.
Additionally, Uber is giving out a $40 credit for those ordered to evacuate their homes. The voucher will be valid for for trips to an active shelter using the code WILDFIRE25.
Lyft is offering $25 vouchers, valid for two trips, to 500 customers from now (January 10) until midnight on January 15. You can use the code CAFIRERELIEF25 to access the promotion.
You can find urgent evacuation updates at the Los Angeles County emergency page.
