Billie Eilish Accepts New Activism Awards At Sir Lucian Grainge’s Artist Event, Urges Rich Music Superstars To “Use It For Good Things And Not Stupid Things”
Billie Eilish was among the artists at Sir Lucian Grainge’s 2023 Artist Showcase this Saturday at his Hollywood studio (Milk Studios) in Los Angeles.
The event, presented by Merz Aesthetics’ Experience+ and Coke Studios, welcomed a wide range of musical luminaries, including Elton John, singer Sabrina Carpenter, and many others. The Hollywood event, which brought together musical artists from far and wide, almost coincided with the Grammy Awards, which was to happen the next day in the same town.
Amongst musical celebrities live at the event was the Bad Guy hit-maker, who received a REVERB Amplifier Award for activism. Giving a fiery acceptance speech, which her fans have since shared on YouTube, Billie said: “A lot of you got some money in your f***ing pockets, so maybe use it for good things and not stupid things, you know?”
The 21-year-old Grammy-winning artist has always lent her voice to political and social matters like gun control, animal rights, and climate change.
“I do as much as I can but I feel like I can always do more, but I feel really impressed and really excited that you guys are actually making this a priority and thinking about it and kind of doing your part. It’s really important,” she stated in her award speech.
“I feel like I spend a lot of my time being really anxious about the fact that I don’t feel like a lot of people, and especially people in the business, I don’t feel like they care very much, and it’s really nice to see that this is happening and that you guys do, and I just wanna say, like, everyone in this room, we can all do our part,” she added.
The Showcase was a collaboration between Universal Music Group and REVERB, a leading environmental non-profit focused on working with musicians, festivals, and venues to increase sustainability and reduce the environmental footprint of the live music industry.
In line with the mission, Billie’s award was “to recognize the artist best exemplifying the commitment to, and achievement of, measurable steps to reduce their environmental footprint and support nonprofit causes through direct fan engagement at shows, online and beyond.”
The UMG and REVERB partnership will also be featured at the UMG’s Annual After Party that will coincide with the 65th Grammy Awards.
