The Grammys 2022 ceremony has been postponed by the Recording Academy amid the ongoing surge of the omicron strain of the coronavirus, with no new date set for the show as of yet.
The 64th annual Grammys was meant to be held Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, at the newly renamed Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center). Trevor Noah is set to return as host.
“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 health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon,” the Recording Academy and CBS said in a joint statement.
Noah was also the master of ceremonies last year when 2021’s Grammys was postponed from January 31, 2021 to March 14, and the show was even relocated from its traditional spot inside the then-Staples Center to an outdoor spot at the Los Angeles Convention Center just next door.
Also complicating when the 2022 show can be set will be the remaining sports and other concerts held at the stadium throughout the spring, as the Grammys generally need a lockout of at least 10 days around the venue.
It’s also expected that other events leading up to the Grammys, including the MusiCares gala and the Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala, will be delayed.
Jon Batiste leads all nominees at the 2022 Grammys with 11 nominations in all, while Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. each scored eight. Billie Eilish and first-time nominee Olivia Rodrigo, who was in the mix for Best New Artist, each scored seven nominations.
Omicron has hit awards season hard, with COVID forcing cancellations on awards ceremonies such as the Critics Choice Awards, the Palm Springs International Film Festival and gala, and other events.
The 64th annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor are executive producers. Kapoor is showrunner. Jeannae Rouzan Clay has joined the team as co-executive producer; Hamish Hamilton returns as director.