September 30, 2020

Alice in Chains to Headlines MoPOP Annual Fundraiser Dec. 1

Founders Award Moves to Online Format: Will Feature Exclusive Performances and Tributes

Seattle, WASH. (September 30, 2020) — The Museum of Pop Culture today announced its annual Founders Award—the nonprofit organization’s largest annual fundraiser—will move to a virtual format for 2020 and will honor legendary Seattle band Alice in Chains. The one-night-only benefit will be streamed online on December 1, 2020, and will feature unforgettable performances by Alice in Chains, as well as a lineup of acclaimed musicians who will put their own twist on some of the band’s most iconic songs.

“The influence of Alice in Chains is woven into the fabric of Seattle music history and we’re thrilled to honor them with this year’s Founders Award,” said MoPOP Executive Director Alexis Lee. “While circumstance has moved our annual fundraiser online, we’re excited that people around the world will be able to be a part of our creative community and experience the band and an amazing line-up of tribute artists.”

The Museum’s doors were closed for six months due to COVID-19 and with more than 80 percent of the organization’s revenue from on-site activities, this year’s event is more important than ever for the 20-year-old nonprofit. Proceeds raised by the Founders Award event go toward preserving pop culture history for tomorrow’s generation, creating community with engaging programs and events, and motivating future creators to explore their own artistic expression.

Details about the event are at: www.MoPOP.org/FoundersAward. Further information on the fundraiser including the announcement of tribute artists and streaming details will be made available closer to the event.

Past honorees of the Founders Award are: Brandi Carlile, 2019; John Fogerty, 2018; The Doors, 2017; Joe Walsh, 2016; Jimmy Page, 2015; Jackson Browne, 2014; Crosby, Stills & Nash, 2013; Carlos Santana, 2012; Buddy Guy, 2011; Billy Cox, 2010; Steve Cropper, 2009; Robbie Robertson, 2008; Ann & Nancy Wilson, 2007.

ABOUT ALICE IN CHAINS
Over the course of their remarkable career, Alice in Chains (vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Inez and vocalist/guitarist William DuVall) have garnered multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and amassed a diehard international fanbase whose members number in the millions.

Their discography features some of the biggest and most important albums in rock history, including 1992’s quadruple-platinum-certified Dirt, 1994’s triple-platinum-certified EP Jar of Flies, which was the first EP in music history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and 1995’s self-titled double-platinum-certified Alice in Chains, which also entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 1. They returned in grand style in 2009 with the critically acclaimed Black Gives Way to Blue, which hit No. 1 across the rock and alternative charts, earned a Grammy nomination, was certified Gold and hailed by Vice as “a record that’s as powerful as anything the band has done.” The band’s latest album released in 2018, Rainier Fog, hit No. 1 across Billboard’s Rock, Alternative and Hard Music Charts and No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Album Chart and earned them a Grammy nod for “Best Rock Album.” Alice in Chains remains one of the most successful and influential American rock bands of all time.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MoPOP)
Now in its 20th year, MoPOP is a leading-edge nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture. With a mission to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities, MoPOP reaches multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs. At MoPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the pop culture of our time. For more information, visit MoPOP.org

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michelle S. Leyva, Michelle Sanders Communications
(206) 595-1151
michelle@michellesanderspr.com