The Recording Academy has confirmed the postponment of the 63rd Grammy Awards slated to hold January 31 to Sunday, March 1
In a statement on Tuesday, the Academy stated that the decision was as a result of the surge of coronavirus cases especially in Los Angeles, where the event is held at the Staples Centre.
“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,” read a joint statement from the academy and CBS today. “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.”
The announcement was made by Recording Academy chair and interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr, CBS EVP Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming Jack Sussman and Grammys executive producer Ben Winston of Fulwell 73 Productions, Rollingstone reports.
“We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year’s nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times,” they said.
Los Angeles, a global hotspot for Covid-19 has recorded a total of 11,000 total deaths (11,071) from the virus with 840,611 positive cases according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Officials said the country and more than 1,000 new deaths in less than a week.
Trevor Noah was billed to host the highly anticipated event.
