Los Angeles is still in a state of crisis amid the wildfire burning in several areas of the county. With Hollywood in the midst of awards show season, there is one actress who is asking the entertainment industry to pivot during this difficult time.
Jean Smart, a recent Golden Globe winner for Hacks, has some serious thoughts about what Hollywood should do next. “Attention! With ALL due respect, during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters,” she wrote on Instagram on Jan. 9.
The Critics Choice Awards have already postponed their show. It was supposed to happen on Jan. 12 and is currently rescheduled for Jan. 26. Still, other awards shows are also debating what to do next. The Hollywood Reporter revealed over the weekend that there were discussions underway as to whether they should postpone the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, or “pivot the broadcast to a fundraiser.”
On Monday, Jan. 13, Billboard confirmed with Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Tammy Hurt, the chair of the academy’s board of trustees, that the show will indeed go on as planned. “In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” Mason and Hurt said in a statement after conferring with local authorities. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
The show will raise funds throughout the broadcast “to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.” While music is a healing way to get through a crisis, there is the expectation that pre-Grammys events will be canceled out of concern for being a drain on the city’s resources during a difficult time.
After a pandemic, two strikes, and now the Los Angeles wildfires, the entertainment community has been through a difficult time. Now the challenge for awards show producers will be to strike the right tone and not look insensitive to the victims who lost everything. On the flip side, the celebratory season is a big boon to the Los Angeles economy, and many want the show to go on to keep Hollywood shining brightly. It’s going to be a tough road ahead to strike a sensitive balance.
Before you go, click here to see the most shocking Grammy awards red carpet looks of all time.
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