MBW Reacts is a series of analytical commentaries from Music Business Worldwide written in response to major recent entertainment events or news stories. Only MBW+ subscribers have unlimited access to these articles. The below article originally appeared within Tim Ingham’s latest MBW+ Review email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.
What can one say?
The fires that continue to engulf Los Angeles County have literally placed a dark cloud over the epicenter of the entertainment business.
Speaking to friends in Southern California who are living the reality, what comes across more than anything is the scale of L.A’s shared shock – and the ongoing damage.
The Palisades Fire alone has claimed over 1,250 structures so far—homes, schools, and churches amongst them. According to the L.A Fire Department, it’s already burned through 23,713 acres.
That’s the equivalent of around 37 square miles or, to put it into perspective, roughly the same land mass as New York’s Bronx.
The Palisades fire remains just 19% contained. Fears are growing that the high winds expected over the next 24 hours may now spread it further.
All of which makes The Grammys seem of minuscule importance, obviously.
But ‘Music’s Biggest Night’, we learned this week, will be going ahead as planned on February 2, rather than postponing. It’s a surprise to many.
I can 100% see why the likes of Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, and Milk & Honey have officially canceled Grammy Week parties and/or redirected resources from their scrapped shindigs to help those on the frontline of the fires.
I can also 100% see why some Angelenos are planning to use flagship events this month to ‘pivot to philanthropy,’ raising funds for those affected by the fires in the spirit of togetherness.
What I struggle to see is how The Grammys itself will balance the tone of being an enthralling televised spectacle while simultaneously hitting the required notes of poignancy.
Discordancy lurks behind every potential plan.
I’m no TV impresario, but I know this much: You can’t have pop minxes life-affirmingly grinding their way across the Crypto Arena while L.A smolders. You can’t have singers wearing $30k jewelry grinning into golden gramophones when, just outside, a city grimaces into the ash. You can’t chuck a few firefighters on stage to staid applause, before throwing back to Bruno Mars giving it some APT.
You also can’t have Alicia Keys or John Legend singing Imagine for three and a half hours.
And if you’re a major record company, presumably, you can’t risk exposing your artists to any of this.
To put it mildly, striking the right tone will be a high-wire act for The Grammys, TV partner CBS, and show producer Ben Winston.
In the Recording Academy’s defense, a February 2 Grammys could do a lot of good.
Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Tammy Hurt, Chair of the board of trustees, explained in a statement this week: “This year’s show… 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.”
They added: “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.”
All well and noble. But I repeat: the Palisades fire is currently 19% – not ninety percent, nineteen percent – contained.
The Grammys are in 18 days.
With a bit of luck and a (weaker-than-expected) wind, communities devastated by the fires—not just the Palisades but Altadena/Pasadena and elsewhere—may just have started sketching out rebuilding plans by then.
Will those same communities be ready to watch the Grammys “amplify” their “spirit of resilience” as soon as February 2? Rather than, say, waiting until March or April?
It’s a gamble.
They say that comedy equals past tragedy, plus time.
The Grammys 2025 equals ongoing catastrophe… plus very little time.
n.b. An earlier version of this comment published Tuesday (Jan 14) referenced Mark Beaven/AAM’s ‘Friends N Family’ Grammy party, which was due to take place January 30. Shortly after (and unrelated to!) publication yesterday, Beaven and AAM canceled plans to host their annual get-together, and are instead redirecting resources to help those affected by the fires. Grammy-adjacent events that are scheduled include MusiCares (on Friday, Jan 31) and Clive Davis’ annual address (Saturday, Feb 1). MBW has updated data in this article where possible to reflect the latest information from the L.A Fire Dept.Music Business Worldwide
