This year’s Grammy Awards have been postponed indefinitely due to the wide prevalence of the Covid-19 Omicron variant. The annual ceremony, which recognizes top performances in the music industry had been scheduled to take place on January 31.
South African Comedian and Late night show host Trevor Noah was slated to host the event which was to be held at the Crypto.com arena in downtown Los Angeles. CBS Network was to broadcast the event live.
“Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks,” CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement.
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The nominees for the event, who were announced in November include Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste with 11 nominations teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo and 95-year-old Tony Bennett, who won his first Grammy in 1963.
Kenyan nominees for the prestigious awards include Etana, Naiboi, Michale Bundi, and Wyre.
A similar fate befell the 2021 Grammy Awards after the event was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event was later held in March with a mix of pre-recorded clips and live performances in front of a small, socially-distanced audience.
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According to CBS and the recording academy, the decision to postpone the event was arrived at after consultations with local officials, health experts and artists.
“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,” they said.
Apart from the Grammy Awards, the Sundance Film Festival has also been canceled, with plans to hold a virtual event in place of the physical one this month.
The Critics Choice Awards which were scheduled for this Sunday have also been postponed indefinitely.
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