Grammys would be 'tone deaf' not to postpone, says out music CEO Lucas Keller

Los Angeles is still recovering from devastating wildfires that have burned over 40,000 acres. And some in the local artistic community are advocating for big events like awards shows to be delayed or even canceled.

Amid these headwinds, Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, and Tammy Hurt, chair of the academy's board of trustees, released a statement Wednesday saying that the awards will go on as planned on February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in L.A. — but with a new focus on "using the power of music to help rebuild, uplift, and support those in need."

The Academy is emphasizing that all events during Grammys week, which goes from January 31 to February 2, "will have a fundraising element" and that some events have been canceled "in order to generate maximum support not only for members of the music community but also for all those affected by the crisis in Los Angeles and the city at large," a statement says.

Lucas Keller, the CEO of music management company Milk & Honey and an Out100 alumnus, has already canceled his company's popular pre-Grammys event, saying, "It would be tone deaf to celebrate, and I hope all other companies will follow suit."

Several did follow, with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, BMG, and Billboard all canceling parties.

Now, Keller is calling for the awards ceremony itself to be postponed.

"I believe the Grammys should postpone their award show event," Keller said in a statement to Out. "A fundraising event in February would be a wonderful thing, but an award show within January is not what this city needs right now in my humble opinion."

Keller points out that big music companies have reserved large hotel blocks for people coming into town for Grammy week, and that those rooms could instead be given to the thousands who have been displaced by the fires and "need this availability, not just for this week but for weeks and months to come.”

"This is our Hurricane Katrina moment as a city, how can we go to cocktail parties and have galas when so many people are suffering," Keller continues. "Over 13,000 homes burned down, and we’re supposed to be thinking about a red carpet and handing out awards? It would be tone deaf to continue. I believe it was the smart choice to cancel our annual Milk & Honey pre-Grammy event and was glad to see almost every other company follow."

Keller also directed those who want to help to MusiCares, a nonprofit that provides assistance to members of the music industry in times of need. (Here are other ways to contribute to L.A. fire victims.)