‘Too many risks’: Grammy Awards ceremony postponed

LOS ANGELES — The Grammy Awards were postponed Wednesday weeks earlier the planned Los Angeles ceremonial implicit what organizers called “too galore risks” from the omicron variant, signaling what could beryllium the commencement of different twelvemonth of pandemic upheaval for awards season.

The effort astatine a back-to-normal amusement had been scheduled for Jan. 31st astatine the recently renamed Crypto.com Arena with a unrecorded assemblage and performances, but nary caller day is connected the books. The Recording Academy said it made the determination to postpone the ceremonial “after cautious information and investigation with metropolis and authorities officials, wellness and information experts, the creator assemblage and our galore partners.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant, holding the amusement connected January 31st simply contains excessively galore risks,” the academy said successful a statement.

Last year, similar astir large awards shows successful aboriginal 2021, the Grammys were postponed owed to coronavirus concerns. The amusement was moved from precocious January to mid-March and held with a spare assemblage made up of mostly nominees and their guests successful and astir the Los Angeles Convention Center, adjacent doorway to its accustomed home, the arena past known arsenic Staples Center.

It was a large nighttime for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, but the unrecorded performances that acceptable the Grammys isolated from different awards shows were acceptable separately with nary important crowds, galore of them pre-taped.

“We look guardant to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night connected a aboriginal date, which volition beryllium announced soon,” the academy connection said.

Finding that day could beryllium complicated, with 2 nonrecreational hoops teams and a hockey squad occupying the arena. The Recording Academy made nary notation of a imaginable venue alteration successful its statement.

The determination was announced astir the aforesaid clip the Sundance Film Festival canceled its in-person programming acceptable to statesman connected Jan. 20 and shifted to an online format.

The multitalented Jon Batiste is the starring nominee for this year’s honors, grabbing 11 nods successful a assortment of genres including R&B, jazz, American roots music, classical and euphony video.

Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are tied for the second-most nominations with 8 apiece.

The Grammys’ determination could beryllium the opening of different circular of award-show rescheduling aft different wintertime coronavirus surge, with the Screen Actors Guild Awards planned for February and the Academy Awards for March.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton connected Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton