Grammy Awards ‘Likely’ To Be Postponed Again Due To Omicron Concerns

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The Recording Academy is “likely” to postpone the 64th annual Grammy Awards this year due to concerns over the COVID-19 omicron variant, according to a report.

The awards show was originally set for Jan. 31 at the Crypto.com Arena – formally known as the Staples Center – in Los Angeles, but will likely be postponed to a later date, a source with knowledge of the matter told Billboard.

If the decision is made official, it will be the second year in a row that the awards ceremony has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Last year, the show was delayed until March 14 – and was relocated to the Los Angeles Convention Center to avoid overcrowding.

Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” hosted in 2021 and is set to return for this year’s Grammy Awards.

A spokesperson for the Recording Academy told Billboard that no decision has been made yet.

The state of California has been experiencing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, driven by the omicron variant, like many other places across the country.

According to the latest data, Los Angeles County recorded 21,200 new cases on Sunday. Similar to New York, those numbers are expected to rise in the aftermath of New Year’s Eve events.

Last year’s decision to postpone the awards ceremony came on Jan. 5, when roughly 37,000 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in a single day.