At the beginning of April, Goldflyer and Young & Sick announced that they would be releasing an NFT called, “golden ticket," to act as a fundraiser for independent music venues. After a successful first round, a second round took place this past Friday. Goldflyer is a fundraising initiative put together by Neon Gold Records, Venue Group, and All Things Go – which was assembled in collaboration with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and ten of the country’s most iconic independent music venues. The fundraiser not only raised over $200,000, but it also directly benefitted 10 historic music institutions and NIVA – an American organization of independent music venues, promoters, and festivals created in March 2020, which pursues federal support for small businesses struggling as a result of the devastating effects that COVID-19 has had on the entertainment industry.

NIVA and Goldflyer announced the second round this past Friday, April 16th, which featured many individuals who have supported the cause already – such as Tove Lo, Tycho, and Dillon Francis – all who donated their likeness for a series of portraits entitled, “Nifty for NIVA.” The proceeds will be going to NIVA in support of music venues that are struggling in the midst of the pandemic.

Shawn Mendes, Dillon Francis, Tove Lo, Tycho, Disclosure, Phoebe Ryan, and The Knocks all supported last week’s NFT drop, rallying together to give back to their favorite small music venues. Winners of the 1 of 1 “golden ticket” NFT include Shawn Mendes, Pabllo Vittar, Andrew Gertler, Dillon Francis, Tove Lo, and Tycho. Artists have been missing out on live shows during the pandemic and want to ensure that when shows return, the venues remain open. This becomes especially important for up-and-coming artists who rely on these small venues to make a living, and it's exciting to see NFTs be put to use in new ways to create new funding streams within the music industry.