The Warner Music Group Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund has announced its first wave of 2026 grantees, which will include investments in 17 different organizations, amounting to nearly $6 million.
Since WMG co-founded the fund, it has committed over $52 million to various societal initiatives that invest in criminal justice reform, educational programs, arts and more. “We are honored to help talented people from all backgrounds turn potential into achievement,” philanthropist Len Blavatnik said in a statement.
Related
Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Play City Parks Foundation Benefit Honoring Joe Killian & Alex Blavatnik
Dale Morris, Nashville Manager Who Guided Careers of Alabama & Kenny Chesney, Dies at 89
HYBE Pledges Over $300k for Colombia Earthquake Recovery
Six of the 17 organizations are first-time grantees, including the Atlantic Music Project, Brooklyn Youth Sports Club, Classical Pride and Generator. Over the course of the next five years, the fund will build 75 prison libraries across the U.S. with Freedom Reeds.
“Music has the power to help drive real societal change. We’re proud to support these organizations as they work to connect, heal, transform, and create important opportunities,” added Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl.
The rest of the new grantees will feature Global Black Economic Forum, Black Lives in Music, The Hip Hop Museum, Jazz Power Initiative, African Leadership Academy, Civil Rights Corps, Julian, SPARK Reproductive Justice Now!, StopWatch and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute.
“We are continuously evolving and sharpening our grantmaking strategy, so we can best help these phenomenal organizations work to create a lasting, measurable impact in our communities,” said Yrthya Dinzey-Flores, who serves as the senior vp of people, engagement, and culture at WMG as well as the WMG/BFF SJF president.
The Warner Music Group Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund was launched in June 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, and the fund is expected to distribute $100 million by 2030.