Jazz News: NEA grants off-again on-again? L.A. artists rally for fire relief; Belafonte social change award
This is Jazz News, a look at what’s news in jazz, music, and the arts.
The off-again / on-again status of federal payments caught our eye since we announced the grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to five Colorado organizations, including Gift of Jazz, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, Su Teatro, Cleo Parker Dance, and Aspen Santa Fe Dance.
Since our report last week, President Trump ordered a pause on federal grants. Then a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, then the White House withdrew the directive altogether. We haven’t heard back from the N.E.A., but we’ll keep you posted on the status of these important arts grants.
(Find the full list of State-by-State grant allocations at this website: ARTS.gov/2025 NEA Arts Support)
We have learned of a few more artists who lost their homes in the L.A. fires including songwriter Diane Warren, Jhené Aiko, and the producer Madlib.
The last week has been filled with benefit concerts for L.A.-based musicians impacted by the fires. Yesterday’s Grammy Awards program was redesigned as a sort of telethon for relief efforts. The Recording Academy set up a partnership with four organizations serving the music community, and the community-at-large: Direct Relief, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Community Foundation, and MusiCares. The on-screen QR code during last night’s telecast raised $7 million, just from viewers at home (SOURCE: Musicares.org/Grammy Fire Relief)
One more Grammy note: this year’s Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award went to Alt R&B singer from Cincinnati Iman Jordan, for his the anthem for unity called “Deliver.” The song is a rallying cry against war and hostility, while it calls for civility and meaningful dialogue, despite the media voices of division.
(SOURCE: Grammy News/2025-Grammys Best-Song for Social Change & Eli Scholarship Recipients)
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