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Coronavirus: Grammys chief Harvey Mason Jr writes to Congress seeking financial aid for music community

In a letter addressed to prominent members of the Senate, Harvey Mason Jr outlined how thousands of self-employed workers from the music industry would be impacted due to the crisis at hand
UPDATED MAR 20, 2020
Harvey Mason Jr (Getty Images)
Harvey Mason Jr (Getty Images)

Ever since the former Grammys chief Deborah Dugan was ousted (in diabolical fashion) from her role as the Recording Academy's CEO, its Board of Trustees Chair Harvey Mason Jr has been leading the organization as its interim president. One of Mason's first significant contributions to the entertainment industry has been in the form of an appeal for aid from Congress, due to the ever-increasing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States Congress has been putting together a multibillion-dollar emergency aid package to help offset the economic impacts of the Covid-19 virus that has crippled nations worldwide.

In a recent letter addressed to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the acting CEO of the Recording Academy made an impassioned statement on behalf of the music industry. "As the national coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on all Americans, I urge you to protect our nation’s musicians, performers, songwriters, and studio professionals," said Mason Jr "Just as many large industries will be seeking support, you should not forget the smallest of small businesses: individual music makers who will not benefit from employer-based relief."

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Both houses of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet in the Capitol (Getty Images)

The letter then asked Capitol Hill to consider the debilitating impact of coronavirus on the music industry. Thousands of festival cancellations and tour postponements have wreaked havoc on the music industry and have cast uncertainty in the minds of people who are dependent on the entertainment sector for their survival. “As Congress considers emergency steps to provide critical support to American workers and families, it must extend such support to self-employed gig workers like those in the music community," read the appeal. "Including these non-traditional workers in a stimulus package will give hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families the financial assistance they need during this crisis." 
 

“These music makers generally work as self-employed freelancers or independent contractors,” Mason continued. “They work from project to project and are not engaged in typical employer-employee relationships. They do not have the benefits of an employer-provided safety net such as sick leave or health care, and they are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Music is the original ‘gig economy," the letter read further.

It remains to be seen what will come out of this appeal, or indeed, what lasting impact the Covid-19 will have on the entertainment industry. For now, it's still very much a case of waiting to see what unfolds next.

Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr speaks onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images)

Earlier on March 17, the Recording Academy had announced a $2 million coronavirus relief fund through its affiliated charitable foundation, MusiCares. The financial aid will primarily be used to support music professionals who have been critically impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. To make a donation, you can click here.

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