2021 GRAMMYs Ceremony to Be Postponed Over COVID-19 Concerns

2021 grammys album of the year
Getty Images

The awards show originally for Jan. 31, will now be held on March 14.

Music's biggest stars will have to wait a little longer for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

ET has learned that the 2021 ceremony -- originally scheduled for Jan. 31 in Los Angeles -- will be postponed until March 14 over continued concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement, Harvey Mason Jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy; Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS; and Ben Winston, GRAMMY Awards Executive Producer and Fulwell 73 Productions, said, "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 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. 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."

Rolling Stone was the first to report the news, sharing that organizers were working on a new date for the Trevor Noah-hosted ceremony. Many other major awards shows have already been postponed, including the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards and more. Check out ET's guide to the 2020-2021 awards season to stay up to date on all scheduling changes.

The 2020 GRAMMY Awards were one of the last awards shows to take place in person before pandemic lockdowns began early last year. However, the mood at that event was a somber one, as the awards show took place on the same day NBA legend Kobe Bryant and eight others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

As for the 2021 ceremony, which was initially promised to be held "rain or shine, COVID-19 vaccine or not," honorees will include Beyoncé, this year's most-nominated artist with nine total nods, despite not releasing a new album. Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch and Taylor Swift all each scored six apiece. And of course, there were also a number of notable surprises and snubs.

The 2021 GRAMMYs will air live on CBS and CBS All Access on Sunday, March 14.

RELATED CONTENT: