The Scene Report: Playing For Change Foundation’s 2025 Impact Awards

Miami’s contemporary art institution the Rubell Museum buzzed as artists, philanthropists, and visionaries gathered for the Playing For Change Foundation’s (PFCF) 2025 Impact Awards gala—an evening where music’s transformative power took center stage.

The event honored legendary artists whose influence extends far beyond chart-topping hits—The Marley Family, JUANES, and Anitta—each recognized for using their platforms to drive social change and community empowerment. But the true stars of the evening were the students from Playing For Change programs worldwide, their stories providing living testimony to music’s ability to transform lives in the most challenging circumstances.

More from Spin:

• Update: Guns N’ Roses Drummer Frank Ferrer Exits Band
• Björk’s ‘Cornucopia’ Concert Film Heads To Theaters
• Kim Gordon, Kim Deal Team For Sonic Youth Song On John Mulaney Show

More than a celebration, by evening’s end the gala raised more than $2 million to fund music and arts education in underserved communities across the globe, ensuring that PFCF’s mission will continue to reach those who need it most.

Honoring the Icons: The Marley Family, JUANES & Anitta

The 2025 Impact Awards paid tribute to legendary artists whose careers have transcended music, turning them into global ambassadors for change. The Marley Family was recognized for carrying on Bob Marley’s vision of “One Love” through initiatives in education, healthcare, and community development. JUANES, a longtime advocate for peace and social justice, was honored for his work with Fundación Mi Sangre, an organization empowering Colombian youth through music and education.

When JUANES took the stage to accept his award, he humbly acknowledged the moment, speaking briefly before pausing with a smile: “My vocabulary in English is not very extensive, so maybe I prefer to sing a song with my guitar.” He then picked up a guitar and launched into an impromptu performance, the moment raw and intimate, reminding everyone why JUANES’ music has resonated across cultures for decades. 

One of the most powerful moments of the night came when 19-year-old Julia, a student from PFCF’s Instituto Playing For Change program in Cajuru, Curitiba, Brazil, took the stage to introduce Anitta’s Impact Award. Standing alongside fellow students from her community, she shared her personal journey—from discovering new opportunities through music education to now working at the institute that once changed her own life. “The Institute doesn’t just offer a path,” she said. “It offers a path of dreams, builds futures. A path that connects, that powers, that transforms.” Julia’s powerful testimony led to a virtual appearance by Anitta, who accepted her award with heartfelt gratitude, reinforcing the power of using music to drive meaningful change across borders and barriers.

After the gala dinner wrapped, guests made their way across the street to Superblue Miami for an intimate afterparty where Grammy-nominated Cuban funk maestro Cimafunk and his band galvanized the audience with a propulsive, soulful performance.

The Heart of the Mission: Music as a Force for Change

Beyond the awards and performances, the night was a testament to the foundation’s core belief: that music is more than entertainment—it’s a catalyst for transformation.

“So how do you overcome that trauma when you don’t have a lot? You have your culture, you have your music, you have something to hold on to, and suddenly these girls have a future,” Jake Groshong, CEO of PFCF, shared, speaking about young girls in Guatemala who have faced unimaginable hardships. His words captured the essence of why Playing For Change’s work transcends typical philanthropy—it provides not just resources, but hope and identity.

That impact is felt in 100 locations across 28 countries, where over 800 local staff members lead PFCF programs, ensuring that music and arts education reach those who need it most. Groshong spoke about the real-world impact of their work, sharing stories from communities where the foundation has made its indelible mark.

In Guatemala, PFCF serves girls, some as young as 10, who have survived unimaginable trauma. With few resources available, music and culture become their connection to something bigger—a way to reclaim their futures. In Ukraine, the foundation has adapted to war conditions, running programs inside bomb shelters so that children can continue to learn and create despite the devastation around them.

Groshong also spoke about PFCF’s work in Morocco, where desertification is swallowing entire towns. The foundation developed a rammed-earth architecture model that has won prestigious global awards and is now being replicated across border communities to combat the crisis. In Nepal, where girls were once locked in huts during menstruation and barred from attending school, PFCF helped shift cultural perceptions, providing reusable pads and education. Today, the program boasts a 100% graduation rate.

Perhaps the most striking example of PFCF’s impact is in Uganda, where 200,000 South Sudanese refugees faced starvation after the World Food Programme cut off aid. “This is a great example of where Playing For Change thrives,” Groshong said. “It’s not our job to say we have a solution. Our job is to ask them: How do we fix this?” The answer they received was clear—they needed the tools to grow their own food. In response, PFCF brought in professional farmers, secured 25 acres of land, and taught agricultural skills to the refugees, many of whom had once been doctors, teachers, and tradespeople before war took everything from them. The initiative was so successful that Uganda recently granted them 100 more acres to expand their work. 

A Night That Echoes Beyond the Ballroom

As a proud media partner of PFCF, SPIN was honored to support an event that not only celebrated music’s greatest changemakers, but also underscored the transformative power of art, culture, and education on a global scale.

 “Once a year, we are so lucky to bring together our students, philanthropists, and major artists from around the globe who exemplify what it means to give back,” says Groshong in an interview with SPIN. “This year’s Impact Awards was an extraordinary example of the difference we can make when we use music and culture as the foundation of change.”

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.