2021 Grammy Awards Postponed Over Coronavirus Concerns
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: Alicia Keys performs onstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
The Recording Academy, the organizers of the prestigious Grammy Awards has announced that it has postponed the 2021 Grammy Awards to March this year.
This year’s Grammys was originally slated for January 31st but in a statement released Tuesday evening, organizers, citing “thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear,” confirmed that they’ll stage the award show on Sunday, March 14th.
“The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do,” the Recording Academy and CBS, the network broadcasting the show, said in a statement. “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show. We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year’s nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times.”
A rep for Trevor Noah, who was tapped as the host for this year’s event, confirmed to Rolling Stone that he will remain the host.
The postponement is coming just a day after SAG-AFTRA — the union representing actors and other industry professionals — and the Producers’ Guild recommended a “temporary hold on in-person production.”
“Southern California hospitals are facing a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before. Patients are dying in ambulances waiting for treatment because hospital emergency rooms are overwhelmed. This is not a safe environment for in-person production right now,” SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said on Monday.
Prior to the postponement, there were plans to have a limited show as only presenters and performers would be allowed on-site during the show while the audience will watch virtually.
Nominated artists wouldn’t have been allowed on-site either, likely leading to a situation similar to the 2020 Emmys where nominees appeared and accepted awards remotely.
Multiple award-winning songstress Beyonce leads the Grammy nominations this year with nine nods while Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Roddy Rich snagged six nominations each. she is
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