The upcoming Grammy Awards have been postponed due to what organisers describe as “too many risks” due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
No new date has been announced.
The ceremony had been scheduled for January 31 in Los Angeles with a live audience and performances.
The US Recording Academy said it made the decision to postpone the ceremony “after careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners”.
“Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks,” the Recording Academy said in a statement.
Last year, like most major awards shows in early 2021, the Grammys were postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
The show was moved from late January to mid-March and held with a sparse audience made up of mostly nominees and their guests in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Many performances were pre-taped, and none were in front of significant crowds.
The Grammys had been scheduled this year to return to its traditional home next door, the Crypto.com Arena, formerly the Staple Center.
“We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon,” the academy statement said.
Jon Batiste is the leading nominee for this year’s Grammy honours, grabbing 11 nods in a variety of genres including R&B, jazz, American roots music, classical and music video.
Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are tied for the second-most nominations with eight apiece.
Australian music legends AC/DC and Sydney rapper The Kid Laroi are also among the nominees.
AC/DC have earned three nominations — rock performance, music video, and rock album — while The Kid Laroi is up for the prestigious best new artist award.
Other Australian acts nominated include Sydney dance outfit Rufus Du Sol (dance/electronic recording) and Melbourne’s Hiatus Kaiyote (progressive R&B album), while Nick Cave and Warren Ellis will contest the best recording package category for the album Carnage.
This year’s Sundance Film Festival has cancelled its in-person programming, set to begin on January 20, and shifted to an online format.
The moves could signal the beginning of another round of award-show rescheduling, with the Screen Actors Guild Awards planned for February and the Academy Awards for March.
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