The annual Grammy music awards show will be postponed from its original broadcast date of January 31st to March 14th as a result of the surge in covid-19 cases in California.
What We Know:
- The Recording Academy made the announcement on Tuesday, voicing concerns about spreading the virus in Los Angeles, which has surpassed 10,000 Covid-19 deaths and has had 40% of the deaths in California. The state now places third in reaching the 25,000 death count.
- “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 academy said in a statement to NBC News.
- The 2021 ceremony was scheduled to take place in its usual venue at the Staples Center. However, L.A. has seen a significant increase in infections that are expected to worsen. The L.A. County Director of Health Services, Dr. Christina Ghaly, said Monday that many regional hospitals “have reached a point of crisis” and are being forced to make “very tough decisions about patient care.”
- The Grammy Awards were hoping this year’s show would mend some of the damage caused by the sexual misconduct scandal it faced last year. The 2020 show was overshadowed last year by accusations made by the Academy’s former chief, Deborah Dugan, who made allegations of sexual misconduct against her predecessor, Neil Portnow, and former board member, Joel Katz. She also made accusations of financial mismanagement, self-dealing, and vote-rigging.
This year’s show is set to be emceed by The Daily Show host and comedian Trevor Noah. Beyoncé is leading the board with nine nominations, followed by nominees: Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, Jhené Aiko, Post Malone, Renée Zellweger, Billie Eilish, and her producer-brother Finneas. First-time nominees include The Strokes, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, and Blue Ivy Carter.
