As the 67th Annual Grammy Awards approach, uncertainty surrounds the event’s fate due to the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles. Originally set for Sunday, February 2, at Crypto.com Arena, the city’s immediate priorities now lie elsewhere.
Discussions are underway to either postpone the CBS broadcast and its related events or pivot the show to a fundraiser. Sources indicate that postponement is highly likely, as the fire, which began earlier in the week, and the overall disaster status of the city are ongoing concerns.
The coming days will be crucial in determining the show’s status, with Recording Academy head Harvey Mason Jr. considering multiple options. Plans are also in motion for a benefit concert, potentially involving MusiCares, the Grammys’ foundation, to aid music professionals affected by the disaster. Live Nation, the Azoff family, and AEG Presents have announced a Jan. 30 event at the Intuit Dome, with participating artists and broadcast partners yet to be confirmed.
The logistical challenges posed by such a large-scale natural disaster are immense, from securing hotel rooms for attendees to the potential loss of instruments. The music industry in LA has been heavily impacted, affecting staff, publicists, and talent alike, including artists like Billie Eilish and The Weeknd.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Grammys have been postponed. The 2021 show was delayed due to COVID-19, and the 2022 ceremony was rescheduled from January to April due to a surge in the Omicron variant, moving to Las Vegas for the first time in history.
Since Tuesday, when the initial wildfire broke out in Pacific Palisades before spreading to parts of Malibu and Santa Monica overnight, first responders across Los Angeles have been working tirelessly to contain active wildfires erupting across the county, including the Eaton, Hurst and Kenneth fires. The death toll has also risen to 11 people, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday.
The Palisades Fire alone is being reported as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, claiming more than 5,300 structures, including homes, apartment buildings and businesses across more than 20,000 acres. And the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena has claimed thousands more.
Thousands of LA residents have lost their homes in the destruction from the flames, with many taking to social media to document the devastation and the impact the fires had on their communities. Among them are also numerous celebrities, including Mandy Moore, Anna Faris, Milo Ventimiglia, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges, Bozoma Saint John, Mel Gibson, Billy Crystal and Diane Warren, whose houses were destroyed by the blazes.
As of Saturday evening, the Kenneth Fire was 90 percent contained; the Palisades Fire near the coastline was 11 percent contained,and the Eaton Fire was 15 percent contained. The Hurst Fire, south of Santa Clarita, was 76 percent contained.
