Grammys on the Hill to honor Schumer, Bill Cassidy
The Recording Academy will honor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for their work supporting music creators later this month.
The academy said in a release on Tuesday that it will recognize Schumer, Cassidy and musician Pharrell Williams on April 26 at its annual Grammys on the Hill awards, which have been held for more than two decades to honor those who have advocated for creators’ rights.
"GRAMMYs on the Hill is a celebration like no other, spotlighting music's unifying power as we bring together our nation's leaders with some of the most renowned artists in the world," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in the release.
"It's a privilege to honor Pharrell alongside Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Cassidy, all of whom have fought tirelessly for pro-music policy that protects the creatives that make up our community."
The release states that Schumer and Cassidy are being recognized for their support for policies that have helped people in the music industry, including the Save Our Stages Act, which provided funding to performing venues and organizations to help them stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The release states Schumer ensured funding was provided to gig workers and small music businesses as majority leader. He also sponsored a resolution to designate Aug. 11, 2021, as “Hip Hop Celebration Day” and November 2021 as “Hip Hop Celebration Month,” while Cassidy served as an original co-sponsor.
The academy said Schumer and Cassidy were “critical” in working to help 272 young musicians, faculty and staff from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music escape from the country as the Taliban took over in 2021 and get to Qatar. This has allowed the institute to resume many of its activities in Portugal, according to the release.
Schumer said he is honored to be recognized by the academy "for Congress's work to support the recording and performance industry during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic."
"I was proud to lead the fight in Congress alongside musicians, venue owners, operators, and employees to pass the Save Our Stages Act bringing critical relief to thousands of workers in the music industry," he added.
Cassidy said music helped guide the Afghan students to be free from the Taliban’s rule.
"Music carried the spirits of the students at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music through to freedom. No matter where you are in the world—Kabul or New Orleans—music communicates resilience, passion and culture," he said.
Williams is being recognized for an “unparalleled commitment” to supporting creators’ rights and to philanthropy.
The ceremony will be followed by the annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day, in which current and former award winners and nominees and industry leaders meet with lawmakers to discuss the issues facing the industry.