The Road To The 2025 GRAMMYS Is Rocky
L.A. wildfires, supporting our music family, and critical wardrobe strategies
The Road To The 2025 GRAMMYS Is Rocky
This month is supposed to be full of joy and excitement for the music industry as Recording Academy members and nominees prepare for the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony on February 2, 2025.
Instead, many are either evacuating or housing evacuees— some of whom have lost everything to the sporadic outburst of wildfires that continue to consume the city. Over 12,000 houses have burned, and over 200,000 people have been displaced. Gads of music events have been cancelled or rescheduled— here is a comprehensive list from Billboard.
My podcast interview with DIY PR Group President Kaytee Long Becker revealed fantastic strategies for musicians who aspire to one day be nominated for a GRAMMY. Yet, there was the underlying knowledge that she and her clients might have their own emergencies to face. In fact, shortly after recording our chat, Kaytee’s client and my next podcast guest and GRAMMY nominee Radhika Vekaria had to cancel her interview as she was up until the wee hours of the morning welcoming evacuees into her home. It may be after the GRAMMYS before we can make it happen.
BREAKING NEWS!
Feedspot panelists ranked Herizon Music: The Podcast #15 in its Top 45 Women In Music Podcasts for 2025! See the full list here.
Wellness checks are front of mind, as I check in on people who may be affected. Substack sister and L7 bassist Jennifer Finch is safe but can see the fires from her house.
Substack sister, bassist, and author Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s and Psycher) was visiting L.A. for her birthday but left early as the fires continued to spread.
Substack’s WomanCake reports that music writer and singer/musician/writer Celia Chavez is safe.
Music producer and looping genius/musician Angela Sheik is safe but posted videos of wildfires atop the hills in front of her home.
ATX music host Katie Daryl is also safe and posting videos of West Hollywood.
Songwriter/singer Maggie Szabo said the fires got close to her home but she, too, is safe.
Multi-creative artist and podcaster Lauren Lograsso is staying with family in San Diego but wants to know if the drinking water is safe in her neighborhood before returning home.
Some were not so fortunate. Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, and Mandy Moore (whose musician brother-in-law lost everything weeks before the birth of his child) all evacuated their homes.
EDM DJ and media personality Paris Hilton watched her Malibu home burn to the ground. Fortunately, she is unharmed. Even with that enormous loss, she immediately launched a fundraiser for wildfire victims and has raised almost $260,000 as of this date.
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles lost her home. Beyoncé immediately announced a $2.5MM donation to her BeyGOOD charity’s fire relief fund aiding families, churches, and community centers.
Hollywood Reporter published an extensive and growing list of music industry professionals who reported losses. I focused on women in this article because Herizon Music spotlights women in music and the issues that affect them and their fans. Staying in that lane in no way means I hold less concern or sympathy for the men who are affected by the fires.
As a RA member, I’m asking that music fans help their L.A. sisters and brothers by donating to MusiCares. It’s the RA program that helps music industry folks in need of healthcare, social services, and other crisis services. You do not have to be a member to receive help. They’ve launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund and initially donated $1MM to start the campaign. 100% of donations go directly to people in need. The org is offering $1500 grants and $500 food vouchers to wildfire victims. MusiCares has already distributed $2MM in emergency aid.
Whether you want to donate or you need personal assistance, here are the ways to get started:
1-800-687-4227
Are The GRAMMYS Still On?
Discussions have resulted in a decision to move forward with the televised ceremony, but the MusiCares Person of the Year event (honoring the remaining members of The Grateful Dead) and the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards are still in the air, according to Billboard. The awards voting period has been extended for obvious reasons. The show host has yet to be announced due to the uncertainty of the show’s fate but will be announced shortly.
The ceremony will broadcast live on CBS from 8 to 11:30 p.m. ET/5 to 8:30 p.m. PT, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The Academy is airing it as a televised fundraiser for the fire relief fund.
Thea’s Road To The GRAMMYS
Will I attend the ceremony? The short answer: yes.
Rather than reporting solely on the awards events, I will report on music industry professionals’ experiences and feelings about moving forward. So many articles out there quote press releases from the same sources. My goal is to get a perspective from indie musicians, hotel and restaurant employees, and music venue managers on the ground. We shall see how difficult this is given the unknown state of affairs.
Will the three-day stay be as joyous as I planned? Cannot imagine how it could be. Yet, people are at their best when things are at their worst. I believe I will witness our community uniting to help strangers, co-workers, friends, and families alike.
Music heals, and our music family is strong, innovative, resilient, and brave. You have to be to work in this business. I have total faith in our power to overcome and recover.
Please help us do that by donating and then sharing this post with your circles. I will post updates as I can.
Let’s turn to the more light-hearted side to my personal road to the GRAMMYS: my awards ceremony fashion plan! This issue takes you inside the hallowed retail walls of a famous indie designer who dresses the stars… and now little ol’ me. His clothes checked all the boxes for my GRAMMY wardrobe strategy. He’s offering a 15% discount on his entire collection for January. So, read on!
Upgrade to a paid subscription to access this story as well as the new series “Hidden Tracks” about how the darker side of the music industry has treated female icons throughout history. Judy Garland is the first hidden track…