By John Ikani
The 64th annual Grammy Awards will take place on April 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the show’s organizers announced on Tuesday.
The event — featuring nominees including Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo — had been due to take place in Los Angeles on January 31.
The show postponed its original date on Jan. 31 at the newly renamed Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after organizers’ determined there were “too many risks” because of the virus’s latest surge.
For the Grammys, it was attempting a back-to-normal show with a live audience, but the decision to postpone the ceremony came after “careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners.”
This is the second consecutive year the Grammys has been rescheduled due to the spread of the coronavirus. Last year, like most major award shows, the Grammys were postponed because of virus concerns.
Hosted by Trevor Noah, the show will now take place on April 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“We are excited to take the Grammys to Las Vegas for the very first time and to put on a world-class show,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr said in a statement.
While the show’s date has been set, some details are still to be determined, including the parties, performances and charity events that usually lead up to the ceremony.
The multitalented Jon Batiste is the leading nominee for this year’s honors, grabbing 11 nods in a variety of genres including R&B, jazz, American roots music, classical and music video.
Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are tied for the second-most nominations with eight apiece.
The Grammys’ move has created another shift for upcoming awards shows — the CMT Awards will move from its originally scheduled ceremony date from April 3 to a later date that month.
The Oscars currently are still on for March 27, one week before the rescheduled Grammys.
