Holding the Grammy Awards Ceremony to Support Fire Victims; February 2

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced that despite the recent fires in Los Angeles, the Grammy music awards ceremony will be held as scheduled on Sunday, February 2 (14 Bahman) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This comes as fires continue in some areas of Los Angeles, California, affecting many in the music industry. The Academy also stated that one of the main goals of holding this event is to raise funds to support rescuers and victims of the Los Angeles fires. However, the Academy's decision to hold the event has faced criticism from some singers, producers, and industry professionals, who argue that given the extensive destruction and loss of life in this disaster, holding a musical celebration with major stars and colorful outfits is inappropriate. Hamid Saidi, a musician, composer, and Grammy winner residing in Los Angeles, told Voice of America that he had to leave his home due to the fires and spent a few days as a guest at a friend's house, but conditions have improved, and he has returned home. Mr. Saidi states that this disaster has caused significant losses for many in the music industry in Los Angeles, as many of them live in areas like Malibu and Altadena, which were severely affected by the fires. He adds that this disaster has impacted various sectors of the music industry, and for this reason, these artists who are members of the Academy are following the issue of postponing or canceling the Grammy Awards with greater sensitivity. According to this artist, it should be noted that the Academy's programs actually begin a week before the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, including seminars, gatherings, professional meetings, parties, and receptions attended by Academy members. He further adds that planning for these side events takes place months in advance, and the awards ceremony is essentially the culmination of a busy week in the music industry. Hamid Saidi mentions that due to the scale of these programs and the fact that many artists travel from other cities and countries to Los Angeles during this time, postponing or canceling the Grammy ceremony is very difficult and largely 'impossible.' He also notes that due to the global crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy had to make changes to its programs, which was an 'exceptional' case. According to this artist, senior Academy officials believe that the main idea behind holding the Grammy ceremony is to create a platform for gathering and familiarizing artists so that the music industry can improve both artistically and economically. He continues that Harvey Mason Jr., the Academy president, states that given that this fire has caused significant losses to music professionals, Academy members, and the city of Los Angeles, holding this event is more important than ever because it provides an opportunity to show solidarity, empathy, and togetherness during these difficult times. Hamid Saidi states that according to the Academy, this year's awards ceremony will include various sections aimed at raising funds for rescuers and victims of this major disaster. In recent days, some music and record companies have canceled their parties and celebrations, and the budgets for these programs will be allocated to charitable causes. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has also announced that it has condensed its annual pre-awards programs into four events and will allocate the costs of canceled programs to matters related to the Los Angeles fires. At the Grammy Awards, Beyoncé leads with 11 nominations, followed by Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Charli XCX with seven nominations each. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 2 (14 Bahman) in Los Angeles. The consequences of the Los Angeles fire; the Oscars ceremony may be postponed. Concerns about the possibility of dangerous winds and the spread of fires in Los Angeles. Meteorologists warn of 'explosive growth' of fires in California. The death toll from the Los Angeles fires has risen to 24. The Los Angeles fire has turned the homes of several Hollywood stars to ashes.