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Grammys postponed to March 14 due to pandemic concerns

Awards ready for presentation at the 2005 Latin Grammys. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Awards ready for presentation at the 2005 Latin Grammys. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

by Jay Gabler

January 05, 2021

The 63rd Grammys will be postponed from their scheduled date of Jan. 31 due to safety concerns amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. After news of the postponement broke in Rolling Stone, the Recording Academy confirmed a new date: March 14.

In a joint statement, the Recording Academy's leaders and the awards ceremony producer said:

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.

Plans had already been in place for a radically altered awards ceremony, with no audience physically present at the Staples Center as host Trevor Noah presided. Winners would have accepted their awards over video call.

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