The 2021 Grammys have been postponed from their scheduled date on Jan. 31 over concerns due to COVID-19, and the ceremony has been rescheduled to March 14.
“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling ‘The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards’ to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. 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’s Harvey Mason Jr., CBS’ Jack Sussman and Grammy Awards executive producer Ben Winston said in a joint statement.
They continued: “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.”
The 2021 ceremony, which will be hosted by “The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah, was intended to be held without an audience and only allowing presenters and performers on site during the show. The Grammys are traditionally held at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles and typically draw 18,000 attendees. This year, the show was planned to be held in the downtown area but in a greatly limited capacity.
Beyoncé leads the field of 2021 Grammy nominees with nine total nods, followed by Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch and Taylor Swift. The nominees for Album of the Year are Jhené Aiko’s “Chilombo,” the self-titled album from Black Pumas, Coldplay’s “Everyday Life,” Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 3,” Haim’s “Women In Music Pt. III,” Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia,” Post Malone’s “Hollywood Bleeding” and Swift’s “Folklore.”
The Recording Academy’s postponement comes as Los Angeles is heading toward its worst month on record for the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday, L.A. County reported over 9,000 new cases, 77 deaths and 7,697 current hospitalizations as ICU bed capacity in Southern California remains at 0%.
Voting for this year’s Grammys closed on Monday.
Rolling Stone first reported the news.
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