The 2025 GRAMMY Awards are scheduled for Sunday February 2, 2025. The annual occasion is at all times a star-studded present that musicians, bands and music companies look ahead to as a affirmation of the arduous work that goes into making and producing recorded music.

However this yr it could be a bit totally different.

Everybody is aware of in regards to the devastating fires within the Los Angeles space. In response to information studies, roughly 88,000 folks stay below evacuation orders Wednesday with one other 84,800 below evacuation warnings as a result of wildfires in Los Angeles County. Sturdy winds have been anticipated (and low humidity) for giant areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties whihc coud exacerbate the unfold. The fires have burned a mixed 38,600 acres in Los Angeles County alone. Containment of these fires grew barely Monday, as firefighters took benefit of lighter winds to clear wider containment traces. (for perspective, the better New Orleans space in acreage is about 116,000).

There are hundreds who’re homeless, and plenty of of them are musicians and artists, in addition to music enterprise professionals.

The GRAMMYs normally embrace not solely the official ceremonies on the Staples Middle to announce the winners, and the TV present, however many occasions and events which might be offered by trade companies resembling file labels, know-how, creatives and rather more. A lot of these occasions have been cancelled in respnse to the fireplace’s present—and probably future—devastation.

Reid Wick. Picture by Erika Goldring for the Recording Academy.

In response to Reid Wick, who has served because the Affiliate Director for Membership and Business Relations for the Recording Academy (producers of the GRAMMYs) at their Memphis Chapter for the final 20 years, the “total telecast is having to be revamped to make it extra of a fundraiser, with a ‘telethon’ type of vibe.” (Wick has only in the near past been promoted to the same job with the Recording Academy—however on a nationwide degree—the place he’ll nonetheless do music advocacy and membership, however might be working extra on a nationwide degree in fast-growing markets like Denver, Asheville, NC, and extra). Revamping a present as sophisticated and with such high-end manufacturing because the GRAMMY Awards is actually an intimidating job for an internationally-broadcast occasion that’s solely about two weeks away.

“There’s an actual similarity to what occurred to New Orleans throughout the Katrina however, in fact, loads of these individuals are rich individuals who misplaced their houses, and have the wherewithal to rebuild, or they produce other houses; whereas in New Orleans, we don’t have that degree of cash, and the complete metropolis and plenty of extra folks have been affected,” mentioned Wick.

Wick mentioned that he thinks the GRAMMY Awards are going to be modified to emphasize the significance of serving to these affected by the fires financially, and the therapeutic that music can present to the various musicians and music trade professionals who’ve misplaced every part to the fires. “Music is a therapeutic power,” he mentioned.

So, the 2025 GRAMMYs are on, however apparently might be revamped and reoriented in direction of fundraising for the individuals who have misplaced their houses and jobs on account of the fires. Let’s throw out some good vibes for Louisiana musicians who’re nominated and should win!