Post Malone, Chris Brown, More Received Millions From COVID Grants Intended for Independent Venues

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress’ "Save Our Stages" campaign extended to Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, grants administered by the Small Business Administration intended to assist struggling independent venues like live music spaces, movie theaters and museums. According to a new report from Insider, large amounts of that money also went to established artists, including Post Malone, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and others.

How did that happen? The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant gave eligible applicants up to $10 million with no obligation to repay it, ultimately distributing around $16 billion in pandemic relief. Many of the artists who received money owned businesses or corporations that could qualify, and the payments to them did not appear to flout any rules, as artists were included in SBA's scope of recipients. However, there were not specific stipulations on how recipients must spend their grants, and they could theoretically use them for mortgage payments, taxes, payroll and paying themselves. 

According to the report, corporations and limited liability companies controlled by musicians that applied for the program amounted to $10 million for Post Malone, $10 million for Brown, $8.9 million for Lil Wayne, $9.7 for Slipknot, $9.9 million for Steve Aoki, $3.1 million for Usher, $2 million for Nickelback (a Canadian band) and numerous other high-profile acts.

It was not reported if the artists in question applied for the grants themselves. The investigation found that one financial management firm in Los Angeles successfully submitted grants on behalf of 97 artists, venues, and managers, amounting to more than a quarter of a billion dollars in grant payouts that included over $200 million for big-name artists.

What they're saying: The Shuttered Venue program "helped save thousands of entertainment venues and operators across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic," an SBA spokesperson said in a statement. Nearly half the grant money went to businesses with fewer than five full-time employees, "the smallest of small businesses," the spokesperson added.