Grammy’s Postponed Due to Omicron Variant

Due to the rise of Omicron and the outbreak of Covid-19 cases, the annual Grammy award show has been postponed. 

By Isabelle Delostrinos
Culture Columnist

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards have been postponed due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant. The music award show was set to take place in front of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on January 31st. It was postponed on January 5th, just after the surge in coronavirus cases following the holidays. The decision was made based on the interest of the show production crew and attendees who believed it was best to postpone the show to a later date to ensure the safety of all those involved. 

Last year’s Grammy award show was held in mid-March once the heat of the pandemic cooled down. The production crew created an outdoor show by setting up a large event tent to ensure the free flow of air and social distancing of attendees. Each nominee was required to wear a mask and was only allowed one guest to the show. Performances were held in a separate building and live audiences were not able to attend. It was not the traditional, extravagant Grammy production but abided by the Covid-19 protocols.

As of January 18th, the Recording Academy announced that the show would be held on April 3rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The later date and smaller arena make for a better environment for the event to be held. With Covid-19 testing becoming more accessible, protocols have a chance at being closely followed by all crewmembers and attendees in this smaller venue. The show will also be live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ for viewers at home. 

Besides the new date, here are some exciting nominations to look out for this spring. Freshman artist, Olivia Rodrigo, has been nominated for seven awards. She is the only artist of the night to be nominated for all four top categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. Her megahit “driver’s license” excelled Rodrigo’s solo debut and brought her to this career-changing moment. This night will definitely be a turning point for her, but it will be up to the Recording Academy to decide. Other artists who dominate popular categories are Justin Bieber with seven nominations and Bay Area native, H.E.R., with eight nominations.