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Recording Academy And Music Community Coalitions Continue Advocacy For COVID-19 Relief
As we've rounded the seven-month mark of the coronavirus pandemic and its decimating effect on the live music industry, the Recording Academy continues to push even harder to make sure the needs of the music community are heard and met by lawmakers in Washington. The next round of stimulus will be critical for music professionals of all kinds, and the Academy has remained at the forefront of uniting the causes that affect its members the most, speaking up loud and clear on their behalf. This has required tireless yet invaluable work.
Because no one can do it alone, the Academy is proud to take part in three key music community coalitions every supporter and advocate should know about – let's take a closer look at each one…
#SaveOurStages
Independent venues have been some of the hardest hit small businesses in any industry due to the pandemic. That's why they banded together to start the #SaveOurStages movement, which amplifies the music industry’s call for the passage of the Save our Stages Act and the RESTART Act. With support from a group of artists, the movement has been endorsed by many organizations in the music community, including the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and others.
With the apt abbreviation of SOS, #SaveOurStages has gained a lot of momentum and is holding its Save Our Stages Festival and fundraiser this weekend, Oct. 16-18, featuring a stacked lineup of artists in support of the cause.
CARES For Music
Music communities across the U.S. need help right now. Thankfully CARES For Music provides a toolkit that empowers local advocates to lobby state and local government to invest in their struggling local music economies using funding that is already available through the CARES Act.
Founded by Sound Diplomacy and gener8tor, the campaign also has support from the Music Business Association (MBA), NIVA, and NITO. The toolkit can be downloaded from the organization's website.
#SaveLiveEventsNow
Right now, twelve million live event workers are struggling, and their livelihoods rely on support from Congress. The #SaveLiveEventsNow initiative asks Congress to provide direct financial aid for these workers through continued and improved unemployment benefits, employer retention tax credits, and other forms of assistance.
Supporters include the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Live Nation, SAG-AFTRA, and Music Artists Coalition (MAC), among others. The #SaveLiveEventsNow website offers simple and effective ways to add your voice to the chorus by making sure your representatives know how crucial their support is
With a looming election and stimulus talks at the forefront of the national conversation, now is the time to come together to support these causes and multiply our efforts to make a real difference. Through these coalitions and ardent advocacy, the Recording Academy will continue to fight for the livelihoods of the people who make the music we love possible.