Grammys 2021 postponed to March as COVID-19 situation in Los Angeles worsens

The 2021 Grammy Awards have been officially postponed to 14 March due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in Los Angeles, California. The 63rd edition of the annual award show had originally been planned for 31 January.

Yesterday (5 January), the Recording Academy announced the postponement, saying the decision came after “thoughtful conversations with health experts”.

“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,” the Academy wrote in a statement.

“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.”

According to Rolling Stone, this year’s Grammys had already been planned as a “limited show”, with only presenters and performers present. Even nominated artists “wouldn’t have been allowed on-site”, meaning they would likely have to accept their awards remotely.

In a historic first, this year’s Grammys nominees for the category of Best Rock Performance are all women. It marks a watershed in the history of the award show and rock music; the category has only been won by a female artist once in over 10 years, when Alabama Shakes took home the award in 2016 for their single, Don’t Wanna Fight. The band also won two other Grammys that year: Best Rock Song for the same single and Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color.

Meanwhile, Fontaines D.C. have received their first-ever Grammy nomination. The Irish post-punk quintet’s record A Hero’s Death is in the running to pick up the award for Best Rock Album. Other nominees in the category include Michael Kiwanuka, Grace Potter, Sturgill Simpson and The Strokes.

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