2021 Grammy Awards postponed amid surge of COVID-19 cases, deaths in LA County
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 26: Ariana Grande performs onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
LOS ANGELES - The 2021 Grammy Awards will no longer take place this month in Los Angeles and will broadcast on March 14, 2021 due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
Grammy officials Harvey Mason Jr, Jack Sussman, and Ben Winston released a joint statement on their website regarding the new air date for the awards show:
"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. 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 Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.
Last year, the Grammy Awards took place on the same day that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, five other passengers, and the pilot.
Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the crisis in California, has surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths and has had 40% of the deaths in California. It is the third state to reach the 25,000 death count.
An average of six people die every hour from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents. County health officials fear the incoming Christmas and New Year’s surge.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 28: Beck performs onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards "Let's Go Crazy" The GRAMMY Salute To Prince on January 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Acade
"The Daily Show" host and comedian Trevor Noah is set to host the 2021 Grammys, where Beyoncé is the leading contender with nine nominations. Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, Jhené Aiko, Post Malone, Renée Zellweger, Billie Eilish and her producer-brother Finneas also scored nominations. First-time nominees include The Strokes, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Blue Ivy Carter.
Visit the Grammy's website for a complete nominees list,
Performers will be announced at a later date.
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