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The show will go on, just not on its original date. On Wednesday (January 5), the Recording Academy and CBS confirmed that the Grammy Awards will be postponed amid the ongoing COVID-19 surge. The news comes after speculation began swirling the prestigious award show would be pushed back as the omicron variant rapidly spreads across the country.
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th annual Grammy Awards show," the Recording Academy and CBS said in a joint statement. "The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remain our top priority."
"Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks," the statement continues. "We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”
The show was originally set to air at the end of the month. Trevor Noah was tapped to host for the second year in a row. As of now, a new date has not yet been selected. According to Variety, sources with knowledge of the situation claim the Recording Academy and CBS both hope to put on a full show with a live audience.
The top contenders for this year's Grammys include Jon Batiste with 11 nominations, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. with 8, while Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo both nabbed 7. See the full list of nominees here.