LOS ANGELES — Planning any event takes detail and coordination, but when it’s a massive gala fundraiser for the music industry’s top performers and supporters, it’s a bit of added pressure. But nothing MusiCares Executive Director Laura Segura can’t handle.

MusiCares is the philanthropic arm of the Recording Academy and Person of the Year is an annual dinner and concert honoring an influential person in the industry, which helps artists in need. It is MusiCares’ largest fundraiser of the year. This year’s honoree is the iconic Joni Mitchell — with performances at the event by the likes of Sara Bareilles, Beck, Leon Bridges, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, and Cyndi Lauper.

As Laura shows us the gift boxes each performer will receive, she talked about the added layer of planning needed with Person of the Year being out of state this time around — in Vegas.

“Not only does your whole team have to be traveling to Vegas for this special event, so do all the items that need to be at the event,” she said.

As we walk around the Recording Academy headquarters, of course empty with remote working still enacted — signs of the pandemic are all around us, and it’s in these last couple of years Laura says MusiCares faced the largest relief effort it ever had to meet increasing the need of the industry’s artists.  

“Were the safety net behind the music, we take care of the music who are making the music because music does so much for the world,” she said.

So when you see the glitz and glam on Grammys Sunday, remember MusiCares, the massive effort behind the scenes supporting artists — helping to keep making the music you all know and love.