It has been revealed that the 63rd annual Grammy Awards will be postponed to March 21.
The news was first reported by Variety, who cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the root cause. Since late November, there has been a rapid increase in cases in Los Angeles, where the show is set to take place. The outlet shared that matters of health and travel were a concern.
According to Rolling Stone, show organizers had already planned to go without having an audience and only allow presenters and performers to be present. Nominated acts would not be able to be there, either.
Black Is King artist Beyoncé leads with 9 nominations, holding on to her title as the most-nominated woman in Grammy history. Other nominees include Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe x Halle, Mavis Staples, H.E.R. and more.
January has already shaped up to be a harsh month for Los Angeles, as the Los Angeles Times has referred to the current status of the pandemic to be “reaching increasingly desperate levels.” Data has revealed that the number of COVID patients has reached a new high and authority figures expect the condition to worsen throughout the month. Medical officials are also short on oxygen, ambulances and critical equipment.
Other major network awards shows, including the BET Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards were held in late 2020. They coped by having performers and nominees in front of green screens remotely. Both shows did not have live audiences.
The Grammys are not the only awards show that has been pushed back—the Oscars and the Golden Globes were postponed as well. The Oscars were originally slated for February 28 but will now take place on April 25, while the Golden Globes have been moved from January to February.