Recording Academy and MusiCares Commit $2M For Coronavirus Relief Fund

By Ted Johnson

Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs and Oprah Winfrey on Thursday donated millions of dollars to help launch America's Food Fund, to help the most at-risk people during the COVID-19 crisis. DiCaprio and Powell Jobs donated a joint $5 million and Apple gave another $5 million to a GoFundMeweb page; Winfrey donated another $1 million; and the Ford Foundation also put in $1 million.

Japan’s entertainment and technology giant Sony has unveiled a $100 million fund to support people around the world affected by the coronavirus.

Warner Music Group has made a donation to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund launched last week, CEO Steve Cooper said in a memo to the company’s staff.

Hoda Kotb was overcome with emotion Friday morning.

Grammy Awards are great, but the Recording Academy’s greatest contribution to the music industry is arguably MusiCares — its charitable foundation to support music industry workers in need.

Sometimes laughter is the best way to get people through a difficult time. A number of comedians will join forces to participate in Laugh Aid, a four-hour live stream that benefits Comedy Gives Back's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

Ralph Lauren is doing something incredible.

Ralph Lauren is giving back those in need.  On Thursday, the famous designer announced that the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will be donating $10 million towards coronavirus relief efforts. "Now more than ever, supporting each other in this time of need has become our mission," an official statement from the Ralph Lauren brand stated.

Elton John is bringing music’s biggest stars together to raise money for coronavirus relief efforts.

The Producers Guild of America is joining the ranks of organizations hustling to provide financial assistance to industry members who are out of work amid the coronavirus outbreak. The guild is launching Producers Guild of America Relief Fund with a starting gift of $100,000 from Grey's Anatomy producer and former PGA president Mark Gordon, the organization announced Tuesday.

Two leaders of the American fashion industry — Anna Wintour and Tom Ford — are creating a fund to help young designers impacted by the coronavirus. A Common Thread, as it's called, repurposes the annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund at least for this year.

Amid ongoing calls for the U.K. government to offer financial support to the country's self-employed and freelance workers, Netflix has donated 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) to help establish a new fund set up by the British Film Institute and the Film and TV Charity.

Amazon Music, Facebook, SiriusXM-Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music announced today that they are contributing to the COVID-19 Relief Fund announced last week by the Recording Academy’s charitable foundation MusiCares to support music industry workers in need.

Netflix has launched a $100 million relief fund for members of the creative community put out of work by the spread of coronavirus. “Almost all television and film production has now ceased globally—leaving hundreds of thousands of crew and cast without jobs,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement.

German performing rights organization GEMA has launched an emergency relief fund worth up to $43 million for its songwriter and composer members, according to Music Business Worldwide.

"Netflix is fortunate to be able to help those hardest hit in our industry through this challenging time"

By Denise Petski

Netflix has created a $100 million relief fund to help members of the creative community who have been left unemployed and without a way to earn an income during the coronavirus crisis. The streaming giant said that the bulk of the funds will go towards supporting laid-off crew members.

As the U.S. Congress considers a multibillion-dollar emergency aid package to offset the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the Recording Academy is urging members of Congress to consider music gig workers in relief plans.