Los Angeles is beginning the healing process after the wildfires that ravaged the area last month, with the city once again becoming the center of the entertainment world on Sunday night.
While the awards, celebrating music’s brightest stars, will serve as a welcome distraction to many of those whose lives were uprooted as a result of the Palisades and Eaton fires, the night will be a platform for victims and first responders.
“We’re told [Sunday’s Grammy Awards] are going to be a platform honoring first responders and raising critical funds,” KTLA’s Gene Kang reported on Sunday morning.
The fires shifted plans for music’s biggest week. Several of the pre-awards parties, like Universal Music Group and Sony Music, canceled their Grammy week events.
Instead, they’ll be helping to raise money for those in the music industry that were affected by the fires.
While the awards typically sport a party-like atmosphere, Sunday’s event will likely have a more somber tone. There will still be iconic performances, and of course the awards themselves, but celebrations will shift toward the heroes that put their lives on the line to help during the devastating events in January.
The Grammy Awards are set to begin Sunday evening at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. As a result, road closures surrounding the area, including the streets adjacent to LA Live, will be closed. Traffic is expected to be heavy near DTLA throughout the afternoon and evening hours.
