MusiCares Moving Forward With Persons Of The Year Tribute To Grateful Dead

The Recording Academy confirmed the 2025 MusiCares Persons Of The Year ceremony honoring the Grateful Dead will take place as planned. Deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area have affected other events planned for Grammys Week.

The 34th annual MusiCares Persons of the Year benefit gala will be held on January 31 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Surviving core members of the Grateful Dead – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart and Bobby Weir – will be honored at the event. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh was named as an honoree prior to his death in October 2024 at age 84.

According to Variety, the Recording Academy sent an email to its members confirming the MusiCares Persons of the Year gala will be held “with a special appeal for donations to support wildfire relief efforts.” MusiCares established a fund accepting donations to assist music industry professionals adversely affected by the still-raging L.A. wildfires.

The Grammy Awards ceremony is also expected to go on as planned in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, February 2. The Recording Academy stated the Grammy Awards “will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”

At least 25 people have died and dozens more remain unaccounted for from the L.A. wildfires that have caused devastating havoc in the region over the past week. The area remains under alert as firefighters continue to battle the blazes that have forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate the area and destroyed over 10,000 structures. Parts of the area remain under Red Flag warnings as dangerous strong winds are expected again today.