SANTA MONICA (CelebrityAccess) – In a prestigious ceremony at NeueHouse Hollywood during Billboard’s annual Power 100 event, boygenius, the Grammy-nominated trio featuring Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers, was honored with the second annual Universal Music Group x REVERB Amplifier Award. The accolade recognizes artists firmly committed to reducing their environmental footprint and supporting nonprofit causes through direct fan engagement.
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge presented the award, highlighting the trio’s exceptional dedication to positive change for people and the planet. The award signifies the collaborative efforts between UMG and REVERB, an environmental nonprofit working closely with musicians, festivals, and fans to address pressing environmental and social issues.
Upon receiving the award, boygenius expressed gratitude, emphasizing their collaboration with organizations such as the PTM Foundation, REVERB, The Ally Coalition, and Calling All Crows. The trio organized tabling for fans to educate them about LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, and environmental concerns.
Dacus: “We’re grateful to be receiving this award but we have the easiest jobs of anyone involved. In addition to PTM Foundation, we worked closely with REVERB, The Ally Coalition, and Calling All Crows to organize tabling for our fans and educate them about local and national organizations that work to defend LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, and environmental concerns.”
Baker: “We’re honored to receive this award and promise not to let us become complacent. We realize it’s useful to publicly acknowledge and recommit ourselves to these values.. and to draw attention to causes we care about. It should be important to everyone because it’s for everyone’s well-being.. the perceived scarcity of a person’s impact does not increase or diminish your individual responsibility to act each day in a way that protects or makes more equitable the world we inhabit together.”
Bridgers: “I know all three of us have been made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe at concerts when we were kids or in work environments later when we were making music ourselves, so it was cool to have Calling All Crows to come and do a demonstration on how to spot and stop sexual harassment and violence whether you see it in the crowd or within your own crew. It’s really cool to now extend the power and privilege we have to others. We try to create an environment that we would’ve benefitted from as kids. Hopefully, everyone’s doing this someday, and no one is getting awards.”
UMG’s EVP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Events and Special Projects, Susan Mazo, acknowledged boygenius for using their power to promote positive change, supporting causes important to them and their fans.
The Amplifier Award aligns with UMG’s commitment to sustainability, partnering with REVERB.org and Three Squares Inc. to reduce environmental impact at events and create sustainable event standards. The annual Grammy Awards after-party organized by UMG has also embraced sustainability measures, featuring a meatless menu sourced from local farms and a plan to donate excess food to the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.
