Those impacted by LA wildfires praised for their spirit at Grammy Awards 2025
Those impacted by LA wildfires praised for their spirit at Grammy Awards 2025
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Those impacted by the LA wildfires have been praised for their spirit as the 67th Grammy Awards ceremony began. Comedian Trevor Noah kicked off the event by speaking about the LA wildfires, which have displaced tens of thousands of people and destroyed thousands of structures. The host of the star-studded ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles said: “Just a few weeks ago, we weren’t sure if tonight this show would even happen.
“You don’t need me to tell you this, but this city has just been through one of the largest natural disasters in American history. “Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes, entire neighbourhoods have been erased and schools, local businesses and entire communities have burned to the ground. “Thankfully, due to the heroic actions of firefighters, the fires have now been contained and despite all the devastation, the spirit of the city has emerged.”.
He added the people of LA are a perfect example of how in the “darkest of times, the best of humanity shines through”. Throughout the ceremony, references have been made to the wildfires, with a compilation of clips of the destruction caused by them broadcast, including shots of residents visiting their destroyed homes and schools. The Recording Academy and charity MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1 million (£815,900) donation.
Currently, they have raised and pledged more than $4 million (£3,263,600) in emergency aid to those in the music industry affected by the wildfires. People have also been encouraged to donate at various points throughout the event. Earlier, Harvey Mason Jr, Recording Academy chief executive officer, opened the Premiere Ceremony of the Grammys by paying tribute to the LA community. He said: “This is a very special event and a special day.
“For the next three hours and then later tonight on the telecast, we’re going to honour and celebrate this amazing year in music. “We’ll hand out some trophies and we’re going to see some unforgettable performances and this year, we’re also going to honour music’s great power to inspire, to heal and to unite because of the recent fires that devastated Los Angeles, we’re also going to recognise the resilience of our community and celebrate our first responders and do our very best to lift up this city that we love.”.
