The 67th edition of the Grammy Awards took place last night (2 February) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with performances from some of the biggest names in pop music.

More than 20 musicians performed during the awards show, which took place in the wake of the LA wildfires – one of the largest natural disasters in US history.

The ceremony kicked off with a tribute to the city, featuring an all-star cast of artists including Dawes, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.

The supergroup delivered a jaunty rendition of Randy Newman’s I Love L.A. as clips of firefighters and first responders played on the screens behind them.

Elsewhere, Charli XCX delivered a ‘boisterous’ performance of Von Dutch and Guess, with the former track earning her Best Dance/Pop Recording. The British popstar also scooped Best Dance/Electronic Album for the cultural phenomenon BRAT.

Doechii delivered an electrifying performance of her breakout hits Catfish and Denial Is A River after becoming the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album and Chappell Roan gave a buoyant performance of Pink Pony Club before walking away with Best New Artist.

Beyoncé, the most nominated artist in 2025 and in Grammys history, did not perform, but she finally won Album of the Year on her fifth try for Cowboy Carter. The star also went home with Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her track II Most Wanted ft Miley Cyrus.

Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year on her fifth try for Cowboy Carter

Minutes before winning her first-ever Grammy Award, Sabrina Carpenter took the stage to perform her smash hit Espresso (which earned her Best Pop Solo Performance) and Please Please Please. She later earned Best Pop Vocal Album for her recent LP Short n’ Sweet.

Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish – who earned six and seven nominations, respectively – went home empty-handed. Eilish performed her nominated hit Birds of a Feather alongside her brother Finneas.

The biggest winner of the night was Kendrick Lamar whose track Not Like Us was named Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Music Video.

Other artists that performed during the ceremony included Shakira, Benson Boone, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Raye, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Khruangbin and The Weeknd, who delivered a surprise performance.

An all-star tribute to Quincy Jones, who died on 3 November 2024, drew performances from Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Jacob Collier, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Janelle Monáe. Elsewhere, Coldplay’s Chris Martin delivered a muted take on the band’s track All My Love for the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment.

See the full list of nominees and winners at Grammys 2025 here.

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In the wake of Los Angeles’ devastating wildfires, Live Nation and AEG Presents have joined forces with the Azoff family to hold a benefit concert, FireAid.

Set for 30 January at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome (cap. 18,000), the “evening of music and solidarity” will raise money to support rebuilding affected communities and efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.

Performers and ticket information will be announced in the coming days. Proceeds from the concert will go towards a charity created for this event. The benefit concert will precede the 67th Grammy Awards, set for 2 February at Crypto.com Arena (20,000).

More than 150,000 people have been evacuated as more than 40,000 acres have been burned and 12,000 structures have been destroyed across LA, per NPR. The economic damage could top $50 billion and may rank as one of the most costly natural disasters in US history, according to the Los Angeles Times. At least 24 people have been killed.

The music industry has been hit hard by the ongoing crisis, with countless professionals, technicians, and artists impacted.

A document is circulating with more than 210 individuals and families who have lost their homes, featuring links to financially support them.

“The music community is being so severely impacted but we will come together as an industry to support one another”

In response, the industry is banding together to raise money for those affected.

The Recording Academy and its welfare charity MusiCares have pledged $1 million to support music professionals impacted by the fires through its Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort.

“The entire Grammy family is shocked and deeply saddened by the situation that is unfolding in Los Angeles,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares, said in a statement. “The music community is being so severely impacted but we will come together as an industry to support one another. Our organizations exist to serve music people … and we hope the broader industry will now rally to this cause.”

MusiCares is offering $1,500 in financial assistance and a $500 grocery card to affected music professionals working in the industry for over three years, intended to cover short-term costs.

“MusiCares disaster relief is intended to cover short-term costs, should you incur costs from evacuating (hotel, food, supplies). MusiCares is also able to provide additional support for individuals with considerable impact, including medical issues, damaged music equipment or longer-term relocation needs,” shares the charity.

Beyoncé is donating $2.5 million toward an LA fire relief fund started by her charity, BeyGOOD.

“The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centres to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires,” the organisation announced today.

Multiple organisations are offering direct relief for musicians and music industry professionals, including the Black Music Action Coalition, the Entertainment Community Fund, mental health non-profit Backline, the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, the Guitar Center Music Foundation, Warner Music’s Social Justice Fund, The 100 Percenters, and others. Billboard is actively compiling a list of available resources.

“Give to people who really truly need it”

Shelby Schenkman, a creators agent at United Talent Agency, is fundraising through The UTA Foundation to purchase clothes and essential items for affected colleagues and external community members. The effort has raised over US$7,500 to date.

Meanwhile, Charli XCX took to social media to urge brands to “give to people who really truly need it”, while American-Mexican band Fuerza Regida rented out a hotel for six days to provide shelter to those displaced.

Arenas around the city have cleared their music schedules for the month, with sporting programming also facing disruptions.

Last week, LA radio station ALT 98.7 cancelled the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival, which was set to return to Inglewood’s Kia Forum (cap. 17,505) last Saturday (11 January). Incubus, The Lumineers, Cage The Elephant, Glass Animals, The Offspring, St. Vincent, Fontaines D.C., The Head and the Heart, and Damiano David were all set to perform.

Kia Forum’s next scheduled concert is set for 1 February with K-pop group aespa.

Following FireAid, Intuit Dome’s next concert is on 22 February with Mexican band Los Tucanes De Tijuana. The arena cancelled a show with rapper Rod Wave last Wednesday (8 January).

A cancellation has not yet been announced for Calibash, the area’s “biggest Latin pop concert of the year,” set for this Saturday (18 January) at Crypto.com Arena. Maluma, Wisin, Xavi, Manuel Turizo, Emilia, and more are set to perform.

No music programming is scheduled for SoFi Stadium (70,000). The NFL announced the playoff game will move to Arizona’s State Farm Stadium (63,400) tonight (13 January).

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A series of events have been cancelled or postponed as Los Angeles grapples with widespread wildfires.

Five major wildfires continue to burn across LA, fuelled by strong winds, becoming “the most destructive ever to hit Los Angeles County,” reports CNN. At least five people have been killed, with more than 100,000 residents ordered to evacuate.

LA radio station ALT 98.7 has cancelled the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival, which was set to return to Inglewood’s Kia Forum (cap. 17,505) on Saturday, 11 January.

Incubus, The Lumineers, Cage The Elephant, Glass Animals, The Offspring, St. Vincent, Fontaines D.C., The Head and the Heart, and Damiano David were all set to perform.

“It is with heavy hearts that we report that we will be cancelling our ALTer Ego show this Saturday at the KIA Forum. The devastation from the fires is beyond comprehension. Our thoughts are with the Los Angeles community and listeners who have been affected by this tragedy. We also want to recognize and thank all the first responders. We love our city and are putting health and safety first,” the organisers wrote online.

Inglewood’s newest venue, the 18,000-capacity Intiut Dome, also cancelled a show with rapper Rod Wave last night (Wednesday).

“The health and safety of our fans and employees will remain the top priority,” wrote arena representatives.

“Our hearts are with all the members of our community who are impacted by the fires”

Two major festivals have also postponed ticket sales for their upcoming events. Both Rolling Loud, which recently downsized to 15-16 March at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park (75,000), and electronic dance festival Beyond Wonderland, scheduled for 28-29 March at San Bernardino’s NOS Event Center (65,000), have delayed sales until further notice.

In addition to large-scale shows, theatre-level performances have also been rearranged.

The LA Philharmonic Orchestra has postponed or cancelled all shows through the weekend, pushing pianist Igor Levit and singer-songwriter Cody Fry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall (2,265) performances to a later date. Three orchestral performances featuring works from Schumann & Brahms have been cancelled.

“Our hearts are with all the members of our community who are impacted by the fires, and our immense gratitude goes out to all the firefighters and first responders. Please stay safe,” says the LA Phil in their cancellation.

Other iconic venues like The Hollywood Palladium (4,000), The Fonda Theatre (1,200), and The Roxy Theatre (500) all have programming through the weekend that has not been publicly cancelled, while other spaces like The Hollywood Bowl (17,500), The Greek Theatre (5,900), and the El Rey Theatre (771) have no performances set for the near future.

While SoFi Stadium (70,000) has no music-related events, the NFL announced a playoff game set for next Monday will go on, with a contingency plan to move the matchup to Arizona’s State Farm Stadium (63,400) in place. Crypto.com Arena (20,000) is also rescheduling basketball games.

Thousands of acres and hundreds of homes have been destroyed since the blaze began on Tuesday, which is rapidly growing as a result of “dry, hurricane-force winds”, per Reuters. Fires continue to burn across the Palisades, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, and the Angeles National Forest.

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Jeff Olson has been hired as VP of booking for Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE.

Olson will be primarily focused on sourcing talent, negotiating, and securing deals with high-priority clients and promoters for shows for all three venues.

“We are incredibly excited to have Jeff Olson joining our team,” says Lee Zeidman, president, Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE. “He brings over 23 years of experience and knowledge of booking and event production to our venues and to the market, along with strong industry relationships. We are looking forward to having Jeff joining us here in Los Angeles and booking a variety of content for our venues in this competitive market.”

“It has always been a dream of mine to be a part of such premier and iconic venues that are continually active and busy”

“I am elated to have Jeff join the booking team and delighted to welcome him back to Los Angeles,” adds Hallie Yavitch, SVP, booking & marketing. “His impressive resume, experience and relationships will help our venues continue to grow and succeed in a competitive landscape.”

Olson started his career in the live entertainment industry with Meridian Entertainment in Holt, Michigan in 1998 as Talent Buyer and Event Producer. Moving to Los Angeles in 2002, he worked for Arena Network as talent buyer and marketing director for 12 years. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 2014 to become director of booking, events & marketing for the Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Forum.

Most recently, Olson was director of booking & special events for Snapdragon Stadium/OVG360. He was also responsible for booking Kaiser Permanente Thrive Park for major music and food festivals as well as scheduling various other events throughout the Snapdragon Stadium complex.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE team,” adds Olson. “It has always been a dream of mine to be a part of such premier and iconic venues that are continually active and busy. I am also grateful to be back in the Los Angeles market and I look forward to working with some of the best people in the business.”

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AEG has announced plans for a major revamp of its Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Los Angeles, US.

The nine-figure upgrade will reimagine nearly all aspects of the venue, entry and LA Live’s Xbox Plaza, according to a release.

The revamp involves a series of innovative new suite designs, event-level premium spaces and major changes to the exterior of the building.

The latter includes a redesign of Xbox Plaza, creating a seamless cityscape between the Crypto.com Arena and LA Live (the sports and entertainment district that surrounds the arena).

Renovations launched earlier this summer and are scheduled for completion in autumn 2024, with the arena remaining open throughout.

“Since its opening, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that the venue remains state-of-the-art”

“Crypto.com Arena is part of the fabric of Los Angeles, and we are incredibly proud of the role it continues to play in creating some of the most memorable moments in sports and entertainment,” says Dan Beckerman, president and CEO, AEG.

“Since its opening, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that the venue remains state-of-the-art, while consistently creating a world-class event and fan experience. The investment in these renovations demonstrates the ongoing commitment of AEG, the Lakers and the Kings to deliver the best experiences for all of our fans, partners, artists and teams.”

The renovations are funded in part by a $700 million naming rights deal announced with Crypto.com late last year.

“We’re just at the beginning of our long-term partnership and we’re excited to support AEG’s investment in this renovation, demonstrating our joint commitment to ensure Crypto.com Arena maintains its status as a global icon,” says Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com.

PCL Construction will serve as general contractor for the project, reprising its role as general contractor for the arena when it was first built in 1999.

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Crypto.com’s currency, CRO token, surged almost 70% in the wake of the platform’s naming rights deal for AEG’s Staples Center, according to a new report.

The 20-year deal with the Singapore-based cryptocurrency company is reportedly worth US$700 million (€622m), with all of the 20,000-cap venue’s external signage to be replaced by June 2022.

However, Forbes reports the coin’s value has risen 69.9% since last week’s announcement that the 20,000-cap Los Angeles venue is to be renamed the Crypto.com Arena from 25 December following an agreement brokered by AEG Global Partnerships. The news prompted Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at CoinShares International, to say the deal had already paid for itself more than a dozen times.

The deal paid for itself – 13x over

“Crypto.com put $700M into a 20 year sponsorship, and the resulting PR doubled its token price and led to a $9B run-up in market cap the deal paid for itself –13x over,” she tweeted, “difficult to untangle token distribution and who benefited, but smart token marketing strategy!”

The new relationship will result in the first name change in the venue’s 22-year history and will also see Crypto.com featured prominently across the venue with large-scale, premium branding and signage.

“We’re very excited about partnering with AEG and investing long term in this city, starting with Crypto.com Arena in the heart of downtown, and using our platform in new and creative ways so that cryptocurrency can power the future of world class sports, entertainment and technology for fans in LA and around the world,” said Crypto.com co-founder and CEO, Kris Marszalek.

Opening its doors in 1999, the downtown Los Angeles arena is home to the NBA’s LA Lakers and LA Clippers and the NHL’s LA Kings and LA Sparks and hosts over 240 major high-profile events a year, including 19 of the last 21 Grammy Awards shows. Upcoming concerts include Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Imagine Dragons and the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest series.

Earlier this year, Crypto.com became the first crypto platform to partner with an F1 team (Aston Martin), the first to partner with an NHL team (Montreal Canadiens), and the first to partner with a professional sports league (Lega Serie A).

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OneRepublic has become the first major-label US act to accept the cryptocurrency Bitcoin as full payment for a concert, according to the band’s reps.

The payment was for an intimate acoustic show at historical venue, Haydn Hall, outside of Vienna, Austria, on 16 November.

The Grammy award-winning band used peer-to-peer Bitcoin payment app, Strike, to accept payment for the gig, which is said to have sold out in a matter of minutes.

“My band and I are so happy to be a part of something that we believe is, without question, the future of how payments are transacted for unlimited amounts of assets, performances, services, purchases, music, etc. around the world,” says OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder, whose interest in the NFT space is well documented.

“Without question, [this is] the future of how payments are transacted for unlimited amounts of assets around the world”

“Whether it’s artists using NFTs to fund albums with their fans or bands being paid for concerts in crypto, music & tech go hand in hand. With that in mind, it only made sense for us to take the next logical step. I also have an upcoming private concert in December I’m planning on taking Bitcoin for.”

The live music industry is increasingly adopting cryptocurrency for varying purposes. Recently, it was announced that AEG’s Staples Center in Los Angeles is to be renamed the Crypto.com Arena as part of a new 20-year naming rights deal.

Elsewhere, Universal Music Group has formed an ‘NFT supergroup’ made entirely out of digital apes, which will perform across and participate in video games, virtual-reality apps and the metaverse.

Live Nation is also capitalising on the trend by collaborating with artists to launch digital collectable NFT ticket stubs.

Kings of Leon, Grimes, Shawn Mendes, Steve Aoki, Quavo, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, Jack Harlow, Tory Lanez, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, 3lau, Ozuna are among the artists who have released collections of NFTs.

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AEG’s Staples Center in Los Angeles is to be renamed the Crypto.com Arena as part of a new 20-year naming rights deal.

The deal with the Singapore-based cryptocurrency platform, reportedly worth US$700 million (€618m), according to the FT, was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships and comes into effect from 25 December, with all of the 20,000-cap venue’s external signage to be replaced by June 2022.

“This partnership represents the fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform and the biggest sports and live entertainment company in the world converging to drive the future of sports and live entertainment as well as the incredible legacy of this arena for decades to come,” says Todd Goldstein, chief revenue officer of AEG.

“It marks an exciting new chapter in the history of our company and our respective industries, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have such a visionary partner like Crypto.com supporting our global fan base and local community.”

As exclusive naming rights partner, Crypto.com plans to engage fans through premium branded areas of the arena including a 3,300 sq. ft activation space at the building’s entrance, as well as dedicated activation areas on the main concourse and throughout the adjacent LA Live campus.

The new relationship, which will result in the first name change in the venue’s 22-year history, will also see Crypto.com featured prominently across the venue with large-scale, premium branding and signage throughout the interior and exterior.

This partnership is about the future

“This partnership is about the future,” adds Dan Beckerman, AEG president and CEO. “AEG and Crypto.com not only share a vision about innovation and the future of sports and entertainment, but we also have a shared commitment to our communities where we work and live. We look forward to partnering with Crypto.com to create meaningful initiatives to bring that vision to life in the years to come.”

Crypto.com has committed to becoming carbon negative by the end of 2022 by offsetting more carbon than is generated by all activities across the organisation. Earlier this year, the company became the first crypto platform to partner with an F1 team (Aston Martin), the first to partner with an NHL team (Montreal Canadiens), and the first to partner with a professional sports league (Lega Serie A).

Opening its doors in 1999, the downtown Los Angeles arena is home to the NBA’s LA Lakers and LA Clippers and the NHL’s LA Kings and LA Sparks and hosts over 240 major high-profile events a year, including 19 of the last 21 Grammy Awards shows. Upcoming concerts include Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Imagine Dragons and the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest series.

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