Perhaps aiming to hold the Grammys at the end of January was slightly ambitious, given everything that's going on in the world right now (and particularly, in the US.)
For that reason, organisers have postponed this year's awards, which were due to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31st.
They say that concerns about the growing spread of Covid-19 is the main reasoning behind the postponement, according to sources, and said in a statement that following "thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear", they had pinpointed March 14th as the new date.
"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 and TV network CBS said in a statement. “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.”
This year's event is being scaled back in any event, with only presenters and performers allowed in the Staples Center; even nominated artists were not permitted to attend. Beyonce leads the pack this year with nine nominations, while Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and Roddy Ricch all have six nominations apiece.
Trevor Noah is still set to host the new date, while a list of presenters and performers has yet TBA.
