Yahoo Finance MusiCares Announces $2 Million ‘Final Round’ of COVID-19 Relief Funding
MusiCares, which has distributed more than $25 million in Covid-19 relief to members of the music community, announced Monday that it is distributing a “final round” of such funding.
The effort continues the support for music professionals, concluding upon distribution of the $2 million raised during its Music on a Mission concert and campaign in March, to be directly distributed to 2,000 eligible applicants.
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“Although the pandemic relief will be coming to a close, the need for support remains high, and MusiCares is dedicated to helping all professionals in the industry through existing and new mental health and hardship grant programs and virtual support groups, among other programs,” the announcement reads in part.
Founded in 1989, MusiCares is the Recording Academy’s charitable wing and has long provided aid to musicians and music industry people in need. When the pandemic struck last March, within weeks it had distributed millions of dollars in aid to affected members of the music community.
“Since March 2020, MusiCares has distributed more than $25 million directly to more than 34,000 music professionals in need,” the statement adds.
“The pandemic has been devastating to musicians, tour managers, stage crews, and so many others that are involved in making music happen. We heard from our community that many are experiencing elevated levels of depression, financial insecurity and low levels of confidence that they could pay for basic living expenses during the pandemic,” said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. “It is encouraging to know that music people turned to MusiCares in their time of need and we hope they continue to do so as we reacclimate post-pandemic.”
The announcement also said that after this round of Covid relief, “MusiCares will help the music community transition back to business, with an emphasis on prioritizing mental health. MusiCares also continues to provide support through the many services they are known for including medical, dental and hearing programs, mental health and addiction recovery services, preventative clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief, treating each case with integrity and confidentiality. Music professionals who already received assistance from MusiCares COVID-19 Relief are eligible to apply again.”
For anyone in the music community looking for support, contact MusiCares at musicaresrelief@musicares.org or visit https://covid-19-relief.recordingacademy.com/ to apply for a hardship grant.
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