Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan performs in Sydney in 2019

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Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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The Recording Academy's nonprofit arm, MusiCares, established the fund earlier this month to support the many people in the music industry negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Mar 30, 2020 - 4:57 pm

Two weeks ago, MusiCares, the Recording Academy's nonprofit dedicated to supporting music people in need, established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The new MusiCares fund has already raised money for and offered help to those facing "the greatest need" in the music industry right now, as the coronavirus crisis has halted most-to-all live events.

Learn More: MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Many musicians have already made generous donations to the fund, with many engaging with fans in creative ways to fundraise, from livestreaming concerts and online festivals to merch sales. Today, March 30, Japanese rock star Yoshiki and philanthropist offered a generous donation of $100,000 to the fund via his charity Yoshiki Foundation America.

Aussie pop sweetheart Troye Sivan pledged donations to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in a recent IGTV video to his fans. He explained the vital importance of MusiCares' work at this time, supporting crew and others most affected by tours and festivals being canceled en masse. He noted that he'll be donating via Spotify, as they are matching donations to MusiCares, and encouraged his fans to do the same.

WATCH LIST: Livestreaming Concerts From SOFI TUKKER To Neil Young To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

Alt-folk crooner Father John Misty recently released a new live album on Bandcamp, Off-Key In Hamburg, for which 100 percent of proceeds will go to the fund. Dave Longstreth of Brooklyn indie favorites the Dirty Projectors, released a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Isolation," with all proceeds (until April 3) going to the fund. The track, also available on Bandcamp, is being offered as "pay-what-you-wish" to encourage larger donations to the fund. Pop act OneRepublic and their label UMG/Interscope are donating a portion of streaming proceeds (through September) from their new single "Better Days" to the MusiCares Fund.

With many artists joining the livestream concert-from-home party, some of them have used the platform to solicit donations for charities working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Americana power couple Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have been sharing daily-ish concerts on YouTube they've dubbed "I So Lounging," sharing a portion of the donations they get with the Fund.

Kevin Griffin, the frontman of indie-rock stalwarts Better Than Ezra, raised over $40,000 from one Facebook live performance! He shared he was inspired by rising singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle, who raised $2,200 for MusiCares with a Facebook livestream on March 16. Tuttle is also donating a portion of all merch sales on her website (until the end of April).

Singer/songwriter Trevor Hall did an IGTV livestream on March 27, partnering with CLIF GreenNotes for their Playing From Home concert series. The org donated one dollar for each person that tuned in (up to $5,000) to the MusiCares Fund and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Nahko Bear of Portland band Nahko And Medicine For The People also participated in CLIF's series on March 23, with MusiCares the recipient of all donations.

Los Angeles-based trio Magic Giant organized an IGTV Live From Quarantine concert over the past weekend to raise money for MusiCares, tapping Nahko, Brandon Jenner, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's and more. Following the model of the CLIF series, one dollar for every viewer that tuned in (up to $15,000) was pledged to the Fund.

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Concert discovery platform Bandsintown hosted a two-day "Live Music Marathon" on Twitch, featuring performances from Taking Back Sunday, Amanda Palmer, Tank & The Bangas, Tayla Parx, SOFI TUKKER, BLOND:ISH, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, The Mowglis and more. On their Twitch page, they encourage donations via the platform's "Bits" monetization program, and will continue to do so with their upcoming programming.

Bass DJ/producer Said The Sky released a popular new "Sadboi" hoodie today, with a portion of the sales going to MusiCares. Last week, pop superstar Selena Gomez made headlines for dropping new merch for Rare's "Dance Again," with part of proceeds going to the MusiCares Fund.

Alicia Keys and the nonprofit she co-founded, She Is The Music, paired up with Amazon Music, who each pledged up to $100,000 to the Fund, with a fundraiser based on social engagement with a post. The streaming giant also joined SiriusXM and Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube Music and Facebook last week, all of whom pledged efforts to support the music community in need via the Fund.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

Independent Publicists Persist Through The Coronavirus Impact On The Music Industry

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TikTok logo

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TikTok Donates $2 Million To MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund: "We Want To Help Support The Community That Keeps Us Entertained"

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The donation is part of the social media app's larger charity initiative toward COVID-19 relief efforts, which totals to $375 million
John Ochoa
MusiCares
Apr 9, 2020 - 9:32 am

TikTok, the viral video-sharing social media app, is stepping in to support the artist and creative community that thrives on the platform. Today (April 9), the company donated $2 million to MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund, which provides help to the people and professionals in the music industry affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of multiple music festivals and events and venue closures.

"At TikTok, creativity is our heartbeat. And music is often part of many forms of self-expression that we see on TikTok; often in the background of hilarious moments, cinematic storylines, and for dropping like it's hot," Corey Sheridan, head of music partnerships and content operations for TikTok US, wrote in a statement. "We know that musicians, artists, and those working in the industry have seen countless gigs canceled because of this pandemic. And we want to help support the community that keeps us entertained. Today we donated $2M to MusiCares®, an organization supporting artists, songwriters, technicians, crew, and other music professionals whose livelihoods have been severely impacted as a result of cancelled performances and work. While we know this won't replace being on tour, we hope it can help working artists and music industry professionals through this challenging time."

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

The donation is part of TikTok's larger charity initiative toward COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes $250 million in cash contributions to aid healthcare workers and their needs; diverse communities, including musicians, artists, nurses, educators, and families; and education and creative professionals, including educators, professional experts and nonprofits. 

TikTok is also donating $125 million worth of advertising credits on the platform, which includes $100 million in ad credits for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well as $25 million in prominent in-feed ad space to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), health sources and local authorities who are informing users on important health issues and practices related to the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. 

Altogether, TikTok's coronavirus aid donations total a whopping $375 million. 

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"COVID-19 is giving all of us a new perspective, and in the face of this unprecedented crisis, we are collectively seeking moments of joy and inspiration," TikTok President Alex Zhu said in a statement. "Sometimes that means dancing and having fun where we can. Sometimes that means experiencing the comfort and warmth that comes through simple human connection in the face of adversity. The TikTok community is uplifting one another, caring for one another, and lending a hand to one another. This may be a serious time, but on TikTok it can still be joyful – and deeply inspiring. 

"We are committed to playing our part in that global outpouring of mutual support and giving. We want to magnify all we are seeing across our community and translate it into concrete relief for those most affected by this crisis."

Since the coronavirus pandemic virtually shut down the global concert and live events industry in early March, TikTok has become a go-to resource for musicians and artists to connect with fans experiencing isolation and social distancing. Several major artists, including Alicia Keys, Megan Thee Stallion, Dolly Parton and many others, have taken to TikTok to host digital at-home concerts and other various online projects. Teens and young users, for their part, are using TikTok to cope with the coronavirus pandemic and to create unique self-isolation content.

TikTok itself has launched its own digital initiatives to help users deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the #HappyatHome: Live! livestreaming series and the newly launched Live Sessions series in the U.K.

MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

Frank Iero

Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

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MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

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Linda Perry with We Are Hear, Brett Young via Levi Strauss' "5:01 Live" series and CMT, with their upcoming star-studded Kenny Rogers tribute special, have also joined the cause
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Apr 6, 2020 - 12:58 pm

Many more artists and companies have come together during this difficult time to support the many music people out-of-work and in-need due to coronavirus, with more fun fundraisers and generous donations to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Today, actor/singer Rita Wilson teamed up with hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature to release a special remix of their classic track "Hip Hop Hooray," featuring none other than Wilson herself throwing down bars. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Fund. It was released on YouTube today (listen below) and will be available across streaming/digital platforms this Friday. Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, contracted COVID-19 while filming in New Zealand; after posting a video rapping "Hip Hop Hooray" on Instagram, the group reached out to her about collaborating on the new version for a good cause.

For the last two weeks, Nashville powerhouse singer/songwriters and power couple Ellie and Drew Holcomb having been performing fun covers ranging from U2 to Kacey Musgraves to John Mayer on their daily Kitchen Covers series, raising money for MusiCares and their out-of-work touring band and crew.

Linda Perry and Kerry Brown's We Are Hear multifaceted music org have launched the On The Air series, in partnership with Roland, featuring music industry talks, performances and more on YouTube. With the platform's donation functionality, they are raising money for the Fund. Halestorm's Lzzy Hale offered some empowering words and music in one of the latest episodes. 

Read More: Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

On Wednesday, April 8, CMT will be airing a special star-studded tribute show to the late country king Kenny Rogers to benefit MusiCares. "CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares" will feature at-home performances by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts and more.

Later this week, on April 11, the Human To Human 2020 festival on Facebook Live will feature live music from Alec Benjamin, Tayla Parx, Skylar Grey, Richard Marx, Cyn, Grouplove, Jewel, Lauren Daigle and more. They will be raising money for the Plus1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has partnered with MusiCares and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Until April 9 (it began April 2), the UnCanceled Music Festival is bringing tons of live sets from artists around globe by pairing with local venues and brands to curate digital stages. The massive online event is hosted on the StageIt platform and requires "attendees" to donate in a pay-what-you-can model to watch. Fender's stage has featured alt faves like Waxahatchee, Cautious Clay and The Marias, while Los Angeles venue Hotel Cafe has tapped VINCINT, Colbie Caillat, Molly Tuttle and more. All money raised is donated to the venues' staff, the artist community and MusiCares.

Fender has been finding several creative ways to collaborate with artists and contribute to the MusiCares Fund. With the Fender Artist Check-In series on IGTV, they've tapped bad-ass guitarists including My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, John 5, Isbell, and more and are donating on behalf of each artist that participates. In Iero's recent Check-In, which you can watch below, he shares a guitar tutorial for two MCR fan-favorites, "Ghost of You" and "Welcome to the Black Parade."

For those seeking a little retail therapy for a good cause, live music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff and pop star Troye Sivan have you covered. Blickenstaff has partnered with some of the artists he's photographed over the years, including Isbell, Dawes, Yola and Hiss Golden Messenger, selling gorgeous prints with a portion of the proceeds going to the Fund. Sivan, who had shared he would be supporting both MusiCares and the WHO's coronavirus relief efforts, recently released merch for his new single, "Take Yourself Home." All the profits from the three t-shirts will be donated to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief project, which supports MusiCares and several other charities.

Last Fri., April 3, Light In The Attic & Friends Live brought live sets from Ben Gibbard, Jim James, Fred Armisen, Barbara Lynn, Devendra Banhart and more on their YouTube and Twitch accounts. All donations were directed to MusiCares. "Lo-Fi" singer Haley Reinhart recently did a performance on Billboard's Live At-Home series, choosing MusiCares as her charity of choice.

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Denim purveyors Levi Strauss have launched a star-studded 5:01 Live IGTV music and chat series to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts from MusiCares and the WHO. So far, it's featured a stellar squad including Snoop Dogg, Questlove, Burna Boy, Moses Sumney and Brett Young. Young, who performed last week, donated his performance fee to MusiCares. Additionally, the country star's past GRAMMY Museum is also being featured in the Museum's exciting digital offering rollout, going live on April 29.

On March 30, his birthday, country star Thomas Rhett released a new song benefiting MusiCares, called "Be A Light." Featuring none other than Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, all of the artists' proceeds will be donated to the cause. Joining the growing coalition of companies supporting the Fund, the Country Music Association and its philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, announced a $1 million donation last week.

As more members of the music community rallying around a unified cause, we'll keep you posted right here on musicares.org.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

How Kevin Griffin Of Better Than Ezra Raised Over $40K (And Counting) For MusiCares In Just An Hour On Facebook

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MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund Update: Top Music Organizations, Charitable Foundations & More Make Major Donations

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The fund provides financial assistance for music creators and industry professionals affected by the coronavirus pandemic
MusiCares
Mar 31, 2020 - 9:00 am

Support continues to mount for the COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable organization MusiCares. Today the organizations announced a group of top music organizations including the Latin Recording Academy, StubHub, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, City National Bank and Bill Silva Entertainment, and charitable foundations and trusts including the William, Jeff, and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, George Harrison's Material World Foundation, the Michael Jackson Estate, Alicia Keys and She Is The Music and Yoshiki Foundation America. have made significant contributions to the fund.

"It's incredible to see how many within the music industry have continued to show support for COVID-19 Relief Efforts," said Steve Boom, chair of MusiCares. "The impacts of this virus are very real, as many struggle to know where their next rent payment is coming from, or how next week's groceries are going to be paid for. Our fund is there to help meet those needs as much as it can, and every gesture of support counts."

The MusiCares MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund was created to help music people affected by the pandemic due to the cancellation of income-generating music events and other industry work opportunities. Since the fund's establishment two weeks ago with initial seed donations of $1 million each by MusiCares and the Recording Academy, millions more have been raised with the support of numerous partners. However, more is needed to meet the demand.

"So many people in our community remain in desperate need and many are living day to day whether they are a gigging musician, sound engineer or event logistics person," said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "We are thrilled that so many in our community are coming forward to support each other and we are grateful for all the organizations who are standing in the gap for music people in need."

Beyond the initial donations, all Recording Academy Chapters have committed to fundraising in their local communities. Additionally, the Recording Academy appealed to Congress to further protect musicians, performers, songwriters, and studio professionals such as self-employed gig workers who are impacted by cancellations due to the ongoing pandemic. The stimulus package has since passed, and includes key provisions and protections that will benefit countless music industry professionals who are struggling in the wake of Coronavirus.

With the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, music industry professionals, including artists, production crews, technicians, and anyone impacted by the loss of income due to live music event cancelations, can apply for basic living assistance.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, visit: www.grammy.com/musicares/coronavirusrelieffund

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit: musicares.org.  

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Performing Rights Organizations ASCAP, BMI & SESAC Join In Support Of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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Established by the Recording Academy and MusiCares, the fund was created to help all music industry workers in need
MusiCares
Apr 15, 2020 - 9:00 am

Performing Rights Organizations, including the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), and SESAC have announced today that they are contributing to create a special fund as part of the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund to support music creators who are affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's inspiring to see every sector of the music industry band together during a time of need," said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, in a statement. "With the help of these latest contributions and the generous donations over the past few weeks, we've been able to garner more than $10 million to provide aid for music people across all genres, crafts and disciplines affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That said, the need is still so great and these times remain critical for music people."

While the COVID-19 Relief Fund was created to help all music industry workers in need, the funds collected from the PROs will be focused on helping their respective songwriters, composers and lyricists. Members and affiliates of each contributing PRO are encouraged to apply for a grant through the COVID-19 relief fund via www.musicares.org.

"Songwriters, composers and lyricists are the backbone of the music industry — not only is their craft vital to our creative culture and so many other businesses, they also help to lift up humanity in moments like these," said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of ASCAP. "We thank our fellow PROs for joining together with ASCAP to create and support this specially created fund through MusiCares and the Recording Academy that will provide our music writers with the emergency relief grants they need at this difficult time."

Mike O’Neill, President & CEO of BMI, added, "The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund is an important resource for songwriters and composers, who, like so many, have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. BMI is grateful to be able to contribute to this initiative and help in some small way to ease the financial hardship of music creators during this trying time. We are happy to join ASCAP and SESAC in supporting this vital effort and we thank them, the Recording Academy, and MusiCares for helping all of our writers. The creative community is resilient and will continue to inspire the industry as we get through this together."

Since the fund's establishment in March, with initial seed donations of $1 million each by MusiCares and the Recording Academy, millions more have been raised with the support of numerous partners. However, more is needed to meet the growing demand.

"We recognize the profound impact which the COVID-19 pandemic and state mandated shutdowns are having on songwriters as well as the global music community," said John Josephson, Chairman and CEO of SESAC. "We’re pleased to be joining with ASCAP and BMI to support MusiCares' expanded funding in support of songwriter and composer applicants. It’s essential that we do all we can to make sure that our creators have the resources they need to navigate this crisis and continue practicing their craft."

The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund was created by the Recording Academy and MusiCares to provide monetary support to music people in need due to the cancellation of income-generating music events and other industry work opportunities. Beyond the fund, all Recording Academy Chapters have committed to fundraising in their local communities. Additionally, the Recording Academy appealed to Congress to further protect musicians, performers, songwriters, and studio professionals such as self-employed gig workers who are impacted by cancellations due to the ongoing pandemic. The Recording Academy and MusiCares will continue to provide resources to those in need.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, visit: https://www.grammy.com/MusiCares/CoronavirusReliefFund

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit: musicares.org.