Maryland is awarding $30 million to more than 90 live music and performance venues, live entertainment promoters, and independently-owned local movie theaters, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday.
“These awards will save hundreds of jobs and help many of Maryland’s entertainment venues sustain their operations until they can safely and fully reopen,” Hogan said in a statement. “While safe and effective vaccines will help bring a return to normalcy and end the damage to our economy, we need to continue to do everything we can to support our small business community.”
The award recipients span 17 of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions, including Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester counties and Baltimore City. Several of the awards to promoters span multiple jurisdictions.
The Baltimore City awardees include:
- Arena Players Incorporated (Entertainment Venue) — $93,461
- Baltimore Center Stage (Entertainment Venue) — $263,572
- Baltimore Improv Group (Entertainment Venue) — $72,638
- Baltimore Soundstage (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Broadway Across America (Promoter) — $484,256
- The Charles Theatre (Movie Theater) — $484,256
- Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (Entertainment Venue) — $474,449
- The 8×10 (Entertainment Venue) — $312,309
- Everyman Theatre (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Fells Point Corner Theatre (Entertainment Venue) — $135,268
- Hippodrome Foundation, Inc. (Entertainment Venue) — $116,221
- Maryland Film Festival and SNF Parkway Theatre (Movie Theater) — $484,256
- MECU Pavilion (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Mobtown Ballroom (Entertainment Venue) — $241,133
- The Modell Lyric (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Motor House (Entertainment Venue) — $84,745
- Ottobar (Entertainment Venue) — $242,129
- Rams Head Live (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- Royal Farms Arena (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
- The Senator Theatre (Movie Theater) — $484,256
- Spotlighters Theatre (Entertainment Venue) — $130,749
- TMG Hippodrome, LLC (Entertainment Venue) — $484,256
Click here for a full list of award recipients.
Maryland’s new $30 million worth of awards will help preserve more than 800 jobs, state officials said in a press release.
“These initiatives are based on the proven revitalization strategies and programs we have successfully employed to improve our state’s cities, towns, and neighborhoods,” Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Kenneth C. Holt said in a statement. “Our experience, expertise, and strong partnerships with local stakeholders enables us to deploy these critical resources rapidly and responsively as part of Maryland’s pandemic recovery efforts.”
Across the nation, entertainment venues have had to close their doors during the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Independent Venue Association last year lobbied for Congress to pass the Save Our Stages Act.
The bill was locked up in Congress’s stalemate over a larger coronavirus relief package.
