Supporting New Zealand’s Live Music Industry Devastated by COVID-19

March 30th 2020
MusicHelpsLive launches today to support New Zealand’s live music industry which has been left devastated by COVID-19.

In the past month we've seen live music cancelled en masse throughout the country. New Zealand musicians and those who work behind the scenes are facing an uncertain future.


For eight years MusicHelps has been the music industry's charity and among its core activities has been providing emergency financial support and professional counselling to kiwi music people when crisis strikes. It has now started MusicHelpsLive to specifically support people and organisations facing hardship due to COVID-19.


MusicHelpsLive aims to raise $2 million dollars to see kiwi music people through the coming winter. All funds raised will be distributed to those music workers whose livelihoods have been shattered as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
MusicHelps board chair and MusicHelpsLive spokesperson Campbell Smith says: "New Zealand's musicians and the teams behind them are always there for us in times of trouble and tragedy, like the Band Together concert after the Christchurch earthquakes and You Are Us/Aroha Nui concerts following the Christchurch terror attacks. Now they are the ones that need our help.


"COVID-19 is having a devastating effect on the live music industry and the livelihoods of thousands of kiwi music people and businesses. Shows are cancelled, venues are threatened; production suppliers, roadies and crew are without work. With almost no notice, these hard-working, ordinary New Zealanders and their dependents are facing levels of distress and hardship never seen before."


MusicHelpsLive is calling on New Zealanders to visit www.musichelpslive.co.nz to make a donation or find other ways to support the live music industry.

The following organisations have already pledged to support MusicHelpsLive:
Aston Road
Auckland Live
Auckland Stadiums
Audio Foundation
Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)
Bay Dreams Festival
Big Pop Studios
College Hill
Commotion
CRS Management/CRS Presents
Delete Management
Dominion Law
DRM
Dryden Street
Eccles Entertainment
Entertainment Accounting Services
Flying Nun Foundation
Frontier Touring New Zealand
Independent Music New Zealand
Kiwi Krew
Kobalt Music Publishing
Laneway Festival
Live Nation
Loop
Lorraine Barry Management
Love Police
Mediaworks
Mushroom Music
MusicHelps
Native Tongue
Neptune Ent
New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Commission
New Zealand Music Managers Forum
New Zealand Musician
New Zealand Promoters Association
Nik Nak Media
NZ on Air
NZME
Oceania
OneMusic
Page 1 Management
Pead PR
Plus1
Radio New Zealand
Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ)
Red Bull
Rhythm and Alps Festival
Rhythm and Vines Festival
Richmond Music
Rockshop New Zealand
Sony Music
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Soundsplash Festival
Spark
Spark Arena
Spotify
Sum Square & Co
The Label
The Production Company
Ticketmaster
Universal Music
Universal Music Publishing
Venue Merchandising Services
Warner Chappell
Warner Music

About MusicHelps: MusicHelps uses the power of music to help & heal New Zealanders in need. The charity develops & supports a wide range of programmes that use music to help people who are at risk, vulnerable and experiencing health issues. The charity has made projects impacting over 60,000 people possible at youth organisations, hospices, schools, medical charities, rehabilitation centres and more all-over New Zealand. MusicHelps also provides caring, confidential & practical support to kiwi music people experiencing illness, distress & hardship. It provides vital support including medical treatment, counselling and hardship assistance to kiwi music people and their families in times of crisis.


Contacts:
MusicHelps board chair
Campbell Smith
campbell@campbellsmith.org.nz
+64 21 666399

MusicHelps general manager
Peter Dickens
peterd@musichelps.org.nz
+64 21 0854 5529

 

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