We Are Moving The Needle, a music non-profit meant to empower women, trans and non-binary producers and engineers, held its second annual Resonator Awards Tuesday night.
The dinner — held at the recently bought and renamed Chaplin Studios in Hollywood — gathered the likes of Chaka Khan, Chappell Roan, Joni Mitchell, Olivia Rodrigo, St. Vincent, Doechii, Addison Rae, Laufey, Haim, Amy Allen and more to honor women in the industry. The theme of the night can best be summarized in Allen, the first woman to win a Grammy Award for songwriter of the year only last year — “long live women in music.”
Hosted by comedian Fred Armisen, the evening served as an unofficial kick-off to Grammy Week, which brings nearly all of the music industry to Los Angeles for a week of parties, events and gatherings ahead of Sunday’s award show. Tuesday’s Resonator Awards marked the celebration’s return after the devastating fires that swept through L.A. last January led to many Grammy Week events being canceled.
The star-studded list of those being celebrated ranged from performers to producers to engineers, along with a slew of others working to move the needle in the industry. Those being honored this year include Khan, Roan, St. Vincent, Haim, Allen, Gena Johnson, Jayda Love, Bella Blasko, Alissia, Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, Roselilah, Betty Bennett and Roger Davies.
Rodrigo, Doechii, Rae, Laufey, The National’s Aaron Dessner and Andersoon .Paak were among the evening’s presenters. It was an intimate and lively affair, feeling less like a stuffy award show and more like an opportunity for those in the industry, both onstage and behind-the-scenes, a chance to catch up before the week’s chaos truly begins.
A mid-dinner auction also became a moment for the crowd to see one another. Doechii bid herself all the way to a new vacation — so excited by her victory that she later brought her winning number on stage when presenting the award to Love — and attendees John Mayer and Dave Grohl got mid-auction shoutouts for donating a hefty sum of money directly to the nonprofit’s scholarship when that portion of the auction began.
Roan was honored with the Harmonizer Award, a distinction meant for artists and creators who use their platform for social good. It was a perfect fit for the 27-year-old, whose rapid rise to stardom has been shaped by her dedication to giving back and organizing, particularly for the LGBTQ community.
“I feel very uncomfortable being told that I’m a good person,” The “Subway” singer told the crowd, chalking it up to “Christian guilt” or something of that nature. One of the last of the night to receive her honor during the over three-hour-long affair, the singer urged the teleprompter operator to abandon ship as she had cut her speech to a fourth of its length.
But the biggest things Roan urged the crowd to remember — the importance of community and the need for those who are able to give back. “I kind of think it’s just an artist, and anybody that has money, it’s your duty to give it away,” she said. “I don’t really know what else there is to harmony other than giving.”
The singer, alluding to the state of the world as she wrapped up her remarks, hammered home that idea of community. “I don’t really know what’s going to happen to women, gay people or people of color or really anyone, but I think that the only thing that matters is community and kindness and giving what you,” she finished.
In the most touching moment of the night, 82-year-old Mitchell took the stage, met with a standing ovation, to honor and present an award to her friend, Khan. The legendary singer recalled their shared past, including a cheeky tale of Khan convincing Mitchell to dine and dash at a restaurant before Mitchell went back to pay the bill.
Khan, presented with the Luminary Award, took the mic right off the stand and gleefully moved around the stage to accept. “I’m honored, of course, to get anything from anybody for any reason,” she joked during her speech.
Much like Roan, Khan chose to end her speech with a reminder to the crowd. “When women, and all creators are supported, we rise together,” she said.
“To the honorees tonight, you are the future. To the leaders here, keep opening doors. And to the next generation, your voices matter,” she continued. “I’ve always believed, empowered women empower women.”
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