Plans to hold the 2021 Grammy Awards at the end of the month have been scrapped amid Los Angeles' COVID-19 surge.
The awards show, which was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, is being postponed, Rolling Stone and Variety reported on Tuesday. The Recording Academy subsequently confirmed the news in a statement and announced the show has been rescheduled for March 14.
"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," representatives from the Recording Academy and CBS said, per Entertainment Weekly. "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."
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Numerous awards shows have gone forward in recent months, although they've made major adjustments. The Emmys, for example, took place almost entirely virtually in September, with no audience joining host Jimmy Kimmel at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Grammys were also set to go ahead with no audience, with only presenters and performers on-site, Rolling Stone reports. The nominations for this year's Grammys were announced in November, and Beyoncé led with nine nods.
Some other upcoming awards shows that would normally take place earlier in the year were previously also postponed — this year's Golden Globes are now set for the end of February and the Academy Awards are scheduled for the end of April.
Update: This article has been updated with additional information following an announcement from the Recording Academy.
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