Music with a Mission: The 2025 Grammys Aid Wildfire Relief
Photo taken by Megan Silva
More than a celebration—this year, the Music Industry Studies program answers the Grammys’ call to support wildfire relief efforts.
Hosted annually by the Recording Academy, the Grammys are arguably the most culturally significant award show in the music industry worldwide. In 2024, nearly 17 million Americans tuned into the highly anticipated Grammy Awards show. Presenting awards in 94 categories, everyone who is anyone in the music industry has their heads turned for this event.
The Recording Academy, along with major record companies such as Universal Music Group (UMG), hosts a series of sought-after events leading up to the award show known as Grammy Week, inviting over 13,000 music professionals to Los Angeles. These six days include events like Spotify’s Best New Artist Party, which features nominated artists, and UMG’s Artist Showcase.
However, this year, many of these highly anticipated events have been canceled due to an outbreak of wildfires. Earlier this January, Los Angeles County was devastated by this destructive series of fires, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Many lost their homes and jobs in the disaster.
In an effort to provide relief, the 2025 Grammy Awards has shifted its focus to raising awareness and funds to “support wildfire relief efforts, aid music professionals and others impacted by the disaster, and honor the first responders fighting the crisis.” In order to accomplish this, UMG has announced the cancellation of all its Grammy-related events, stating that it will instead “redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires.”
Additionally, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have raised over $4 million through the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort, providing financial assistance to those in the entertainment industry impacted by the wildfires. Thus, the award show itself will refocus on raising awareness of the ongoing devastation in Southern California and honoring first responders.
At University of the Pacific, the Music Industry Studies (MIS) program, directed by Benom Plumb, made the difficult decision to cancel their highly-anticipated annual senior trip to the Grammys—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to connect with Recording Academy professionals and experience Grammy Week ceremonies firsthand. In the wake of devastating wildfires, the program chose to redirect its focus toward something even more impactful: raising awareness and funds for relief efforts. Partnering with PacAve Records, the university’s student-led record label, they turned their passion for music into a force for good.
“Music is a big part of everyone’s lives [and] L.A. is the hub of music. It would be a disservice to the music industry to not have music lovers like us donate our proceeds to a city that has given so much to music,” said Mariella Reis ‘27 (Music Industry Studies), PacAve Records member.
On Sunday night (February 2nd), with help from some MIS seniors and faculty, PacAve Records hosted a live Grammy Watch Party at the University Center Lair, bringing students and faculty together for a night of music, community, and giving back. Attendees were encouraged to donate to wildfire relief efforts, with all proceeds from merchandise sales going directly to aid affected families.
The 2025 Grammy Awards will be remembered not only for celebrating musical excellence, but also for its commitment to a greater cause. By redirecting its focus to wildfire relief efforts, the Recording Academy and major music companies have demonstrated the power of the music industry by uniting and supporting communities in times of crisis.
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