As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Grammy Awards are being rescheduled from January 31, 2021, to March 14. A statement released by the recording academy reads, “After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host, and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021.”
The annual music awards show was scheduled to be hosted by “The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah. The announcement was not unprecedented due to the restrictions and regulations still in place in the state of California regarding COVID-19. A statement signed by Harvey Mason Jr., the interim CEO of the academy, read, “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.
In past years, the show faced scrutiny for its lack of representation of women and people of color in its nominations. This year’s nominations, however, featured a more diverse list of artists, including all the nominations for Best Rock Performance being held by women. Another source of controversy for this year’s ceremony, though, was the snub of The Weeknd, who received zero nominations even though his single “Blinding Lights” was one of the strongest charting singles of the year. As always, many storylines surround the annual ceremony, and the rescheduling will only increase the hype of the 63rd Grammy Awards.
