With the Grammys fast approaching, industry pros, music insiders and the usual hangers-on are divided over whether or not to show up for music’s biggest weekend in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires.
“The mood is dark in LA, and it feels insensitive,” one source told Page Six of attending.
One of the issues would-be-travelers are considering is the fear of potentially taking hotel rooms away from residents who lost their homes and still need temporary housing.
But Jackie Filla, president and CEO of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, told Page Six, “We have the capacity to do both.”
“We have the inventory… If you come to LA, you’re not taking a [hotel] room from someone who needs a room,” Filla confirmed to Page Six.
In fact, “Planned visits [and] people holding reservations are actually how we’re going to be able to support fire evacuees,” the exec added. “That revenue stream is actually going to be important, to support thousands of Angelenos stay employed and provide all of our services to people who need it.”
The organization has a spreadsheet of nearly 400 hotels around the LA area with availability, plus “many with discounts” for LA citizens who have been impacted by the fire.
Filla told us, “we’ve been taking in thousands of evacuees, hundreds of first responders, [and we’re] actively working with FEMA on how we could be a part of the longer term recovery efforts.”
“We can do both, and we can do both really well,” she stressed.
Either way, there will be less going on: Music labels have canceled parties, and events like the annual Clio Music Awards have followed suit.
Galas associated with the Recording Academy such as, MusicCares and Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala, are still scheduled, but will be more charity-focused and less of a outright celebration.
“Grammy week 2025 will not just be about honoring music, it will be about using the power of music to help rebuild, uplift and support those in need,” Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. has said in a statement.
One music business source told Page Six: “Stopping things is a mistake and it’s counterproductive. This city thrives on the entertainment industry… people need a little joy.”
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