MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

MusiCares' COVID-19 relief effort was a charitable initiative aimed at providing financial and other forms of assistance to musicians and music industry professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The initiative was established by MusiCares, a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989 by the Recording Academy, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards.[1][2]

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the music industry with the closure of concert venues, the cancellation of tours, and the loss of income for many music professionals.[3][4] MusiCares launched its COVID-19 Relief effort in March 2020 to provide assistance to those in need. The central program was MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund which was established with $1 million from MusiCares and a $1 million dollar donation from The Recording Academy.[1] MusiCares received further donations from organizations and individuals within and outside of the music industry in order to distribute $37.5 million, and serve 47,228 clients between March 2020 and July 2022 to complete their COVID-19 Relief effort. [5]

Goals

The goal of the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief effort was to provide financial assistance to musicians and music industry professionals who have lost income due to the pandemic.[6] The initiative also aimed to provide other forms of assistance, such as medical and mental health support, and to raise awareness of the impact of the pandemic on the music industry.[7] 

Activities

MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief effort has provided a range of assistance to musicians and music industry professionals, including: 

  • Financial assistance: MusiCares distributed Over $24 million in direct emergency financial grants to musicians and music industry professionals who have lost income due to the pandemic. The grants were used to cover basic living expenses. 
  • Medical assistance: MusiCares partnered with healthcare providers to offer free medical consultations to professionals who are uninsured or underinsured. The organization also provided assistance with medical bills and prescription drug costs. 
  • Mental Health support: MusiCares provided counseling sessions and support groups to musicians and music industry professionals experiencing anxiety, depression, substance abuse, or other mental health issues due to the pandemic. [8]
  • Awareness-raising: MusiCares collaborated with other organizations to raise awareness of the impact of the pandemic on the music industry. The organization also launched a social media campaign, using the hashtag #MusiCaresForUs, to encourage people to support the initiative. 

Funding

MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief effort has been funded through donations from individuals and organizations, as well as through partnerships with corporate sponsors. The organization has received support from a range of musicians and organizations: [9][10][11][12]

Organizations:

  • Amazon Music
  • ASCAP
  • BMI
  • City of Austin
  • Country Music Association
  • Elma Philanthropies
  • Jerry Perenchio Foundation
  • Meta
  • SESAC
  • SONY Music Group
  • Spotify[13]
  • The Recording Academy
  • Tides Foundation
  • TikTok Inc.
  • Universal Music Group
  • Vivid Seats LLC
  • Warner Music Group

References

  1. ^ a b c Strauss, Matthew (March 17, 2020). "Recording Academy and MusiCares Launch Coronavirus Relief Fund". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Millman, Ethan (March 17, 2020). "Recording Academy, MusiCares Set Up COVID-19 Relief Fund". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Denk, J.; Burmester, A.; Kandziora, M.; Clement, M. (2022). "The impact of COVID-19 on music consumption and music spending". PLOS ONE. 17 (5): e0267640. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1767640D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0267640. PMC 9106175. PMID 35560113.
  4. ^ Cooper, Leonie (2020-12-18). "Change the tune: how the pandemic affected the music industry". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  5. ^ "MusiCares Annual Report 2021-2022". MusiCares Annual Report 2021-2022.
  6. ^ Lunny, Oisin. "The Heartbreaking Cost For Musicians As COVID-19 Stops The Music". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  7. ^ Trageser, Stephen (2020-04-24). "A Look at MusiCares' Relief Efforts During COVID-19". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  8. ^ "MusiCares offers Help with Mental Health and Addiction Recovery". www.musicares.org. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  9. ^ Reilly, Dan (March 24, 2020). "MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund gets all-star help for donations, concerts". Fortune. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "Troye Sivan, Yoshiki & More Support MusiCares Fund". GRAMMY.com. March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  11. ^ Dresdale, Andrea (March 26, 2020). "Selena Gomez releases new video and merch supporting coronavirus relief". Good Morning America. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  12. ^ "THE WEEKND DONATES $500,000 TO MUSICARES | The Weeknd". Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  13. ^ "What Artists Should Know About the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund – Spotify for Artists". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.

External links

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