According to reports from Rolling Stone, The Recording Academy has decided to postpone the 2021 GRAMMY Awards due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The outlet reports that organizers are eying a March date, but have not yet confirmed the change. A rep for the GRAMMYs reportedly also confirmed the news to Variety.
Rolling Stone shares that the 2021 ceremony was slated to be a limited one, with no live audience and only the presenters and performers allowed on-site. Nominated artists likely wouldn’t be allowed at the ceremony, opting to keep the show similar to the Emmys where they only appeared virtually to accept awards. It has yet to be revealed if Trevor Noah will still host the year’s celebration.
According to The Los Angeles Times, COVID-19 cases continue to surge in California after the holiday season, with a new single-day record of 74,000 new cases on January 4th. In the Los Angeles County alone, hospitals are stretched so much that patients are having to wait for hours in ambulances until hospital beds open up.
Nominations for the 2021 GRAMMY Awards were revealed in November, with final voting closing yesterday (1/4). Mickey Guyton made history, becoming the first black female to be nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.
The GRAMMY Awards were scheduled for January 31. We will update this story as it develops.