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Despite months of preparation, Kendrick Lamar won’t receive any payment for his Super Bowl halftime show performance, though expenses are covered.
Kendrick Lamar during his performance at Super Bowl Halftime. [Courtesy: YouTube/NFL]
Kendrick Lamar has spent months preparing for his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance, following his announcement as the headliner in September 2024. However, despite the high profile of the event, Lamar won’t be receiving any payment for his performance.
The Grammy-winning artist, fresh off his five Grammy wins for “Not Like Us,” will take the stage for the high-profile event after his 2022 appearance alongside Los Angeles hip-hop icons like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Lamar made waves with his statement, asserting, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one,” following his Super Bowl announcement.
Though the Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most-watched television events annually, typically lasting 12-15 minutes, artists do not receive a paycheck for their performances. Instead, the NFL covers expenses and production costs. For example, in 2020, the NFL spent $13 million on production, and they also cover travel expenses for artists involved.
“We do not pay the artists,” an NFL spokesperson clarified to Forbes in 2016. “We cover expenses and production costs.” While this policy is consistent across performances, artists still benefit from the immense exposure, with previous headliners like Beyoncé and The Weeknd reaping significant career rewards.
While the exposure and visibility are substantial, artists are compensated only on a “union scale,” which is a minimal guaranteed rate set by a union contract, usually amounting to over $1,000 a day.
Entertainment lawyer Lori Landew shared insight in 2019, explaining that the Super Bowl halftime show is seen as an incredible opportunity for many artists. She noted, “Some of those artists do not see their appearance as a political statement, nor do they see the show as a cultural battleground, but rather view their live performance as an opportunity to entertain an enthusiastic crowd and share their music with millions.”
- Location :
Los Angeles, United States of America (USA)
