For the second year in a row, the Recording Academy and CBS have announced the postponement of the 2022 Grammy Awards due to the new COVID-19 strain.
This was contained in a joint statement issued on Wednesday.
The ceremony was scheduled to be held at the end of this month at the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
A rescheduled date has not been announced yet.
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show,” the statement read.
Continuing, it said: “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,” it continued. “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on Jan. 31 simply contains too many risks.”
Last spring’s show was the first Grammys of the pandemic era, and was a more television-friendly, socially distanced show that was loaded with performances.
It was postponed to March 14 after the original date was shifted during last winter’s surge in coronavirus cases.
Attendees had expected to see a return to the usual arena-style celebration at Los Angeles’ Staples Center.