Texas Chapter Advocacy Day
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Texas Chapter Advocacy Day Unites Music Champions in the Lone Star State

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On March 30, the Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter hosted their annual advocacy day, empowering music advocates to call for creator-friendly legislative reform
Advocacy
Apr 2, 2021 - 10:43 am

Over the past year, Texas's beloved music scene has been dangerously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, being the state with the highest venue closures out of any other. With music venues closed, crew members underemployed, managers with no gigs to book, and musicians with no stages to perform on, the Texas music scene and those that make it go-round have continued to suffer over the past year. 

Prior to the pandemic, the vibrant Texas music industry accounted for 210,000 jobs. And more than just contributing to state economy, Texas's rich musical heritage is admired and valued nationally and around the world. Last month's 63rd GRAMMY Awards amplified and celebrated the tremendous music exported by Texans in the past year, including music from Beyoncé, Black Pumas, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, Ruthie Foster, Snarky Puppy, and many more.  While Corpus Christi's Selena and Dallas's DJ Spinderella with Salt-N-Pepa both received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award. 

For those familiar with the Texas music scene, it is clear that most music creators earn their living from touring and gigs. Since that has been at standstill for over a year now, the ripple effect from this lost revenue has impacted artists and their teams, crews, music venues, and many others in the music ecosystem, including music manufacturers and record producers.

The Texas Chapter understood the dire financial outlooks facing members of their creative community and decided to take action. On Tuesday, March 30, the Texas Chapter and its members united to host and participate in the virtual "Texas Advocacy Day."

More than 75 members state-wide, including past and current GRAMMY® nominees and winners, came together for Texas Music Advocacy Day and met with over 30 offices. The event was sponsored by State Representative Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) and State Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston). Participants representing the Academy's Texas Chapter included multi-GRAMMY nominee Bun B, prominent producer and multi-GRAMMY winner Larry "S1" Griffin, Latin GRAMMY nominee and artist Gina Chavez, multi-GRAMMY nominee and Gospel artist Brian Courtney Wilson, GRAMMY-nominated record producer and Recording Academy Chapter Trustee Tim Palmer, Recording Academy Chapter President Carlos Alvarez, and many more of note.

While this year's event was held virtually, many members participated in the event and used their voices to call on their elected officials to enact meaningful relief programs for the struggling music ecosystem. "Many of the legislators need to be made aware of the fact that the 'ripple effect' of the pandemic is only now becoming fully visible in our industry," said Palmer. "As a producer and mixer, I worked through the early part of the pandemic with no issues at all, but now I'm beginning to see a change. Without live show income, many artists basically have no money left to be able to spend on production, mixing and studio costs. The return of live music is so separately needed as earning a living wage from streaming is still largely a fantasy to most artists. We all really need to step up and advocate for our music community and get them the help they need and deserve. Texas Advocacy Day was hopefully a step closer to our goals."

The music community was one of the first sectors shuttered by the pandemic and will be one of the last to return to normal operations. Understanding what is at risk, Texas Chapter advocates lobbied on behalf of three key provisions to help assist the ailing ecosystem. First, participants requested that the state legislators re-appropriate state funding received under the CARES Act to organizations, like MusiCares, in order to better support local creators. Next, advocates shared their support of H.B. 3836, which protects both creators and consumers from online criminals who disseminate and distribute unauthorized music. Finally, creators urged policymakers to oppose H.B. 434, which removes the fine arts credit requirement for high school students.

"The Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy has heard the stories of our members and continues to advocate for and serve our music community as best we can. That's why we organized Texas Music Advocacy Day on March 30th, while our state lawmakers are in session, so we can talk to them about the ways they can support Texas music," said Executive Director Christee Albino Bird. "We're asking for additional relief needed for music professionals as we continue down this long road to recovery, support for Fine Arts programs in public schools, and to support bills that protect creators' from online theft and that help music venues recover from the pandemic."

Texas Advocacy Day proved to be an incredible moment for the music community, and legislators are now brief on the needs of the music community. "We are doing everything we can to support the music industry. You have an advocate here," said Representative Hunter.

Thank you to all the music advocates who participated in this year's activation. The Recording Academy and the Texas Chapter look forward to hosting an in-person advocacy day in Austin next year.

Songwriters & Composers Wing: Celebrating Decades of Advocacy

Ariana Grande performs at 2020 GRAMMYs with female dancers

Ariana Grande performs at 62nd GRAMMY Awards

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Poll: From Bad Bunny To Taylor Swift, Which 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Performer Are You Most Excited About?

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BTS, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, HAIM, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles and more are also part of the stacked GRAMMYs lineup
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Mar 8, 2021 - 1:17 pm

The Recording Academy just shared the full performance lineup for the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, taking place Sun., March 14. The stacked lineup includes Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, HAIM, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.

We're pretty certain you're looking forward to seeing all of these sets as much we are, and we want to know which artist you're most excited to see light up the stage!

Polls

Which 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Performer Are You Most Excited About?

For more info on all the special guests, please visit our GRAMMY Awards performers and presenters page here.

Make sure to check out the many exciting 2021 (virtual) GRAMMY Week events this week, kicking off with GRAMMY In The Schools Fest and Women In The Mix today. The massive week concludes, as always, with the Biggest Night In Music, where you can catch all the epic performers and big winners. The 63rd GRAMMY Awards will be hosted by the one and only Trevor Noah—tune in to CBS or Paramount+ on Sun., March 14 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT for all the action.

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win The Best Rock Performance GRAMMY? | 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

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Empty venue

Photo: Trio Images

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Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program Opens For Applicants

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The Small Business Administration officially launched the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal on Thursday, April 8, a welcomed development for many live venue operators and professionals
Matthew Bango
Advocacy
Apr 8, 2021 - 12:12 pm

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal officially launches today, April 8. The program, which is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), provides essential financial relief for qualified live music venue operators, museums, and talent representatives, among others. More information on the program and how to apply can be found on the SBA's website.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, these cultural institutions have largely remained shuttered over the past year and forced to survive without access to their traditional revenue streams. While merchandise sales and donations helped to generate some revenue, many live music venues were in dire financial situations that required immediate outside intervention.

The Recording Academy, its members, and its allies in the music ecosystem lobbied elected officials to create a robust supplemental fund to help the live event industry survive a year without shows and programming. Hearing direct appeals from constituents and the greater music ecosystem, Congress formed the SVOG program as part of a year-end spending package and appropriated $15 billion in assistance for these iconic independent venues and cultural institutions. The program was enhanced with an additional $1.25 billion as part of the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law last month.   

On March 30, the SBA hosted an informational webinar to provide some additional clarity about the program's application process. During the informative discussion, the SBA representatives estimated that 15,000 qualified institutions will receive awards and predicted that the expected average award amount will hover around $1 million.

The SBA has stated that the SVOG funds will be awarded on a rolling basis until the appropriated funds are completely exhausted. Under the direction of the agency, the funds will be awarded to those institutions demonstrating the largest loss in revenue due to the pandemic, providing a vital lifeline to those entities on the brink of financial collapse. The SBA is advising potential applicants to submit their required documentation as early as possible and will re-categorize applicants internally if they qualify for an exclusive window.

The SVOG program is one of many new innovative programs designed by policymakers to combat the unique financial burden created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the CARES Act, was also designed to provide emergency direct relief to offset the burden on businesses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. If a qualified institution applied and was approved for a PPP loan prior to December 27, 2020, it is eligible to apply for an SVOG, and the previous PPP loan will have no impact on the final SVOG amount. If the institution received PPP funds on or after December 27, 2020, the full amount of the loan received will be deducted from an entity's SVOG disbursement without regard to whether a portion of the PPP loan was forgiven or not. Entities will be ineligible for a PPP loan after they receive an SVOG.

The Recording Academy and its members thank the SBA for officially launching the SVOG program, and pledge to serve as a partner to ensure an equitable implementation of this necessary financial relief program.

More information on the SVOG program and how to apply can be found here.

Help Is On The Way: Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Application Opening on April 8

The Station Inn

The McCrary Sisters at The Station Inn

Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Americana Music Festival

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Help Is On The Way: Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Application Opening on April 8

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On April 8, 2021, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will officially open the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal, a welcomed development for many struggling music businesses
Matthew Bango
Advocacy
Mar 25, 2021 - 6:40 am

Good news, creators – the Small Business Administration (SBA) has officially announced that the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal will open on Thursday, April 8. This announcement is welcomed news for live music venues, theaters, museums, and other eligible cultural institutions, many of which have been left without any revenue since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The relief program has tremendous promise for eligible applicants. According to the SBA’s issued guidance, the SVOG program will issue grants equal to 45% of an institution’s gross earned revenue. The individual grants are capped at $10 million per applicant, and the SBA has earmarked $2 billion for the smallest venues, which is defined as those entities with 50 or fewer full-time employees.

Once the application portal opens on April 8, the SBA will prioritize issuing relief to those applicants demonstrating the most significant revenue loss since the start of the pandemic. The first 14 days will be reserved for those institutions that endured a 90 percent or greater loss in revenue, the next 14 days for those that suffered a 70 percent or greater loss in revenue, and the final 14-day window will be for those entities with a 25 percent or greater loss in revenue. The SBA will then proceed to award grants to those institutions seeing a 70 percent or greater revenue loss for the most recent calendar quarter.

The American Rescue Plan also remedied an earlier barrier for relief facing many struggling venues. Previously, prospective applicants were instructed by the SBA that their organization would be barred from participating in the SVOG program if they opted to receive an additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The new Congress fixed this issue in the American Rescue Plan, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. If a venue applies for a PPP loan first (but after December 27, 2020), eligible applicants are now qualified to participate in both the PPP and SVOG relief programs. 

While the SVOG application portal does not open until April 8, potential applicants can start preparing their documents ahead of time, including instructions on how to best calculate gross earned revenue and to incorporate previous participation in past relief programs. Information on the required documentation for an SVOG application can be found on the SBA’s website. 

The music ecosystem banded together to advocate for the creation of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. Understanding that there is strength in numbers, many independent venues quickly united at the start of the pandemic to form the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which called on Congress to “save our stages.” The Recording Academy became an early champion of the movement and lobbied Congress extensively for a legislative solution to ease the financial burden placed on venues by the pandemic.

In response to the public outcry in support of these community institutions, a bipartisan and bicameral group of policymakers introduced the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act (S.4258/H.R.7806) in July 2020. As part of an end-of-year spending package, Congressional leaders adopted the SOS Act by creating a $15 billion supplemental fund to directly assist live entertainment venues that demonstrate a significant reduction in revenue. The American Rescue Plan later added another $1.25 billion to the program in March.

Earlier this month, the Recording Academy partnered with four historic independent venues struggling to survive the pandemic’s enduring impact during the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, including Los Angeles’ Troubadour and Hotel Café, Nashville’s Station Inn, and New York City’s Apollo Theater. These institutions used the platform to describe the unsustainable financial outlook facing many independent venues resulting from a year of canceled events and to stress the importance of saving our stages.  

The Recording Academy will continue to engage with the Small Business Administration in the days and weeks ahead to ensure that the SVOG program is accurately and equitably implemented.  

Read More: Updated: Biden Administration Announces Creator-Friendly Changes To The Paycheck Protection Program

 

Uixi Amargós

Uixi Amargós recording during the pandemic

Photo: Xavi Torrent/Getty Images

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Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act Reintroduced in the House and Senate

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The bipartisan and bicameral HITS Act has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives and Senate, delivering much-needed relief to music creators if passed
Matthew Bango
Advocacy
Mar 16, 2021 - 4:14 pm

Today, the bipartisan and bicameral Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act was reintroduced in Washington. The Senate version of the bill is again introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and the companion bill in the House of Representatives is sponsored by Reps. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif) and Ron Estes (R-Kan.). The House bill is also supported by Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.).

The HITS Act, which was first introduced last Congress, is designed to allow artists and record producers to deduct 100 percent of sound recording production expenses in the year they are incurred, rather than amortized over the life of the recording, typically 3-4 years. The bill eases the financial burden placed on independent artists by removing the multi-year amortization requirement and allowing an individual to fully expense the cost of new studio recordings on their taxes, up to $150,000.

The HITS Act also aligns the tax code for music production with similar provisions for other creative industries. Currently, qualified film, live theatrical, and television production companies enjoy the ability to deduct 100 percent of their production expenses in the year such expenses are incurred.

The HITS Act would also incentivize the production of new sound recordings at a time when music creators still need help overcoming the financial fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. With tours canceled and gigs indefinitely delayed, many creatives are left without access to their traditional revenue streams. Congress continues to address the unequal impact felt by the creative workforce through enhanced unemployment insurance, extending Small Business Administration loan programs, and creating targeted relief programs for independent venues. 

While these relief programs are a welcomed resource for the music ecosystem, Congress must continue to provide targeted assistance for the most vulnerable creators – independent artists. That is why the Recording Academy collaborated with policymakers on finding a solution that encourages and incentivizes the creative workforce to safely return to the studio.

The Academy applauds the reintroduction of the HITS Act. “A year after the pandemic brought social distancing and shutdowns, independent music creators have been hit hard, which is why the Recording Academy is pleased to support the reintroduction of the HITS Act,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “This bipartisan bill will change the tax code – putting music creators on a level playing field with other creative industries – helping thousands of independent creators get back on track by incentivizing music production, creating new opportunities and revitalizing the music economy.  We thank Senators Feinstein and Blackburn and Representatives Sanchez, Estes, Chu, McCaul, DelBene, and Napolitano.”

“Like families and workers across the country, music producers and creators in each of our communities have been hit hard by this pandemic. In fact, they were among the first out of work as tours and festivals were canceled, venues shuttered, and studio sessions were postponed,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “Today, I'm proud to re-introduce the HITS Act. This bill will make things just a little easier for the small, independent creators that make the music we often turn to during hard times like this."

“The pandemic has made it harder for many people to make ends meet, including musicians and music producers who have been among the hardest hit because of bans on large gatherings,” said Senator Feinstein. “Our bill would allow independent musicians, technicians and producers to deduct their production expenses in the same year they occur, rather than forcing them to spread those deductions out over several years. This change would help keep music creators afloat until we can again gather and listen to them in person.”

“The music from Nashville strikes a chord with folks across the nation,” said Senator Blackburn. “However, the unique burdens faced by the arts community forced many to stop writing, performing, and producing altogether. The HITS act will provide targeted tax deductions to support our musicians and allow them to get back to work.”

“As for so many Americans, shutdowns and social distancing brought havoc for small recording artists over the past year,” said Congressman Estes. “The bipartisan HITS Act will help thousands of independent music creators around the country by providing common sense tax savings on certain expenses – giving this industry the targeted relief it needs as our nation recovers.”

Championed by the Recording Academy, the legislation is supported by many members of the music ecosystem, including the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), SAG-AFTRA, Music Artists Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance, Recording Industry Association of America, National Music Publishers Association, SoundExchange, Global Music Rights, SESAC, National Independent Venue Association, National Independent Talent Organization, Future of Music Coalition, Digital Media Association, Nashville Songwriters Association International, ASCAP, BMI, Gospel Music Association, Christian Music Trade Association and Songwriters of North America.

As the only organization representing all music creators, the Academy thanks these members of Congress for standing with struggling creators by reintroducing the HITS Act, and looks forward to the passage of this landmark relief bill. 

Take Action: Ask Congress to Pass the HITS Act

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