2022 Grammy Awards postponed due to COVID-19 concerns

A rescheduled date will be announced soon.

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Published on January 5, 2022 04:01PM EST

For a second year in a row, the Grammy Awards have been postponed due to the new COVID-19 strain, the Recording Academy and CBS announced in a joint statement issued on Wednesday. A rescheduled date has not been shared 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.

"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."

Grammy Awards. Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

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. EW has reached out to the Recording Academy.

Trevor Noah, host of last year's postponed and scaled back ceremony, is still scheduled to return as host. The comedian emceed an unprecedented ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center last March, which featured a rotating roster of nominees and a combination of live and pre-recorded performances.

Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, Fiona Apple, and Harry Styles were among the winners at the 2021 ceremony. This year's top nominees include Jon Batiste, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, all of which also vying for the coveted Record of the Year award alongside Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile, and Silk Sonic.

This is the latest in a new round of postponements and cancellations in response to the Omicron variant causing a surge in new COVID-19 infections.

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