In addition to the announcement of the Let the Music Play On… live stream festival lineup, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass announced a partnership with Artist Relief to distribute $1 million of COVID-19 relief to any US citizens who meet the requirements.

According to Artist Relief’s website, the fund will offer $5,000 grants to any artists experiencing financial emergencies due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To qualify, an individual must meet the following requirements:
– Must be a practicing artist able to demonstrate a sustained commitment to work, career and a public audience
– Must be facing dire financial emergencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic
– Must be 18 years of age or older
– Must be able to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) upon being notified of selection
– Must have been living and working in the U.S. for the last two years;
– Must not a full-time employee, board member, director, officer, or immediate family member of any of the coalition partners
– Must have not previously been awarded a relief grant from the fund

Applications can be submitted at artistrelief.org/HSB. There’s some more information there as well, including frequently asked questions.

In August, the festival partnered with Alliance for California Traditional Arts to provide up to $2,000 to support individual San Francisco Bay area musicians. It was available for roots musicians specifically and gave priority to people of color with the reasoning “not only because these communities have been historically under-funded by philanthropy, but also because they have been adversely affected by the pandemic.”

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has always supported The Hellman Foundation, which in turn supports San Francisco Bay Area organizations and initiatives promoting social inclusion, education, youth development, and health/basic needs programs. The Festival also hosted a virtual Los Lobos concert in May.