As diagnosed cases of coronavirus spike across the country, the 64th annual Grammy Awards have been officially postponed and the Sundance Film Festival has been moved to an online format. The Recording Academy and CBS released a joint statement Wednesday, citing the Omicron variant as being the catalyst for that decision.
“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,” the statement read. “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks.”
The Grammy Awards were scheduled to take place in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena, formerly the Staples Center, on January 31. A new date has not been announced yet.
It was the same story with Sundance, which moved all in-person scheduled events to online. The film festival will still kick off on January 20 as planned, but only in a virtual format.
A statement read, “While we’re disappointed to not provide the full hybrid experience and gather in-person as intended, audiences this year will still experience the magic and energy of our Festival with bold new films and XR work, the discovery of new storytellers, direct encounters with artists, and an innovative globally accessible social platform and gallery space.”
Show organizers also blamed the Omicron spike for their decision. “This was a difficult decision to make. As a nonprofit, our Sundance spirit is in making something work against the odds,” the statement continued. “But with case numbers forecasted to peak in our host community the week of the festival we cannot knowingly put our staff and community at risk.”
The 2021 Grammy Awards were also delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event was moved to March and drew a record-low viewing audience of just 8.8 million people tuning in, down from 18.8 million viewers in 2020.
The CBS broadcast, which was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show,” had a 2.1 Nielson rating among adults 18-49. That was significantly less than the previous low at a 5.4 rating in the same demo.
Noah is also slated to host the 2022 event. A list of scheduled performers for the show has not been announced yet.
Jon Batiste, the bandleader on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” had the most nominations on the list with 11 total. Other nominees include Justin Bieber, H.E.R., Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo, who were all recognized in multiple major categories. Lil Nas X was also nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
A full list of nominees can be found here. Some of the major categories include:
Record of the Year
“I Still Have Faith In You,” ABBA
“Freedom,” Jon Batiste
“I Get A Kick Out Of You,” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Peaches,” Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
“Right On Time,” Brandi Carlile
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Featuring SZA
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish
“Montero” (Call Me By Your Name), Lil Nas X
“drivers license,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Leave The Door Open,” Silk Sonic
Song of the Year
“Bad Habits,” Ed Sheeran
“A Beautiful Noise,” Alicia Keys Featuring Brandi Carlile
“drivers license,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Fight For You,” H.E.R.
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Featuring SZA
“Leave The Door Open,” Silk Sonic
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X
“Peaches,” Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
“Right On Time,” Brandi Carlile
Album of the Year
“We Are,” Jon Batiste
“Love For Sale,” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe),” Justin Bieber
“Planet Her (Deluxe),” Doja Cat
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish
“Back Of My Mind,” H.E.R.
“Montero,” Lil Nas X
“Sour,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Evermore,” Taylor Swift
“Donda,” Kanye West