At the 2025 Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, music icons such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena to show their love and support for the city and its residents. The event was themed “I Love L.A.” and came at a crucial time as the city was recovering from devastating fires that ravaged neighborhoods for three weeks in January.
The Grammy Awards producer, Ben Winston, along with his team, saw an opportunity to give back to the community that had been greatly affected by the fires. Instead of the typical commercial breaks during the show, Winston proposed using that time to feature local businesses that had been impacted by the fires. This innovative idea aimed to provide support and exposure to these businesses during a challenging time.
Despite the tight timeline, with only two weeks to identify businesses, reach out to them, book musicians, and produce the ads, Winston and his team managed to pull it off. They selected five businesses to feature in the commercials, including the Lost Stuffy Project, which helps replace children’s lost stuffed animals and toys. The ads also featured celebrities like The Jonas Brothers, Avril Lavigne, Doja Cat, Anderson .Paak, and Charlie Puth, who willingly lent their support to the cause.
The selection of businesses and the production of the ads were attributed to producer Dave Piendak, co-producer Kate Dowd, and director Lexa Payne. The ads were not paid for in the traditional sense but were integrated into the Grammy Awards production as a way to support and showcase these local businesses.
The 2025 Grammy Awards will be remembered as a year of fire relief and love for Los Angeles, with the show emphasizing the importance of supporting the community in times of need. Despite some calls for cancelation, the show went on to support not only the music industry but also the local vendors, workers, and businesses that rely on events like the Grammys for their livelihood.
In a heartwarming gesture, the Grammy Awards raised $7 million for fire relief efforts during the broadcast, highlighting the music industry’s commitment to giving back to the community. Overall, the event served as a platform to bring attention to the disaster and showcase the resilience and spirit of Los Angeles and its people.