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The 2021 Grammy Awards will no longer take place on January 31, and has been postponed to March 14, according to a statement from the Recording Academy. Reports in Rolling Stone and Variety initially revealed the ceremony's delay.
The rescheduling was done "after thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear," according to the statement. It continues: "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."
Before the postponement, The Grammys were reportedly already planning on a vastly different ceremony than previous years, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters and performers would take to the stage without an audience, with award winners accepting their trophies remotely.
The FADER has reached out to the Recording Academy for more information.
This post was updated on Tuesday, January 4 at 6:50 p.m. to include a statement from the Recording Academy.