The Red Hot Mission

Red Hot is a U.S. based 501(c)3 not for profit production company whose mission is in promoting public health and diversity through equal access to care.

Red Hot was started in 1989 by Leigh Blake and John Carlin as a response to the devastation wrought by AIDS on a generation of New York artists and intellectuals. Rather than look outside the community for help, Red Hot solicited the time and talent of prominent artists to create Red Hot + Blue: a multimedia project combining music, videos, fashion, art and design in a tribute to the American songwriter Cole Porter. Red Hot + Blue sold over 1 million copies worldwide, and raised millions of dollars for AIDS charities such as AmFAR and ACT UP. Success spawned a series of albums and videos featuring a range of musical styles including Hip Hop, Dance, Latin, Country, Rock, and Brazilian as well as continuing to pay tribute to great songwriters such as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Tom Jobim, Fela Kuti, Arthur Russell and the Grateful Dead.

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Recent Charitable Recipients

  • A Loving Spoonful
  • Advocates for Youth
  • After Hours Project
  • AIDS Action Now, Toronto
  • BHAN, UK
  • Bienestar, East Los Angeles
  • Bronx Aid Service
  • Breakthrough Cincinnati
  • CAMFED
  • Camp AmeriKids
  • Casey House
  • CHAI

  • CITTA
  • Crusaid/ Terrance Higgins Trust
  • DIVO, New Zealand
  • Dublin AIDS Alliance
  • East Texas AIDS Project
  • Empower, Thailand
  • Grupo Gay de Bahia, Brazil
  • Haitian Women’s Program, NYC
  • Housing Works
  • Moveable Feast
  • Nashville CARES
  • National AIDS Manual, UK

  • Nebraska AIDS Project
  • Old Town CC Concern
  • Out Youth
  • Partners in Health
  • Planned Parenthood, NYC
  • SF AIDS Foundation
  • StandUp Harlem, New York
  • Sussex AIDS Centre, UK
  • Tamasha

For the full list of recipients click here