When Will the 2022 Grammy Awards Happen?
The 2022 Grammy Awards, like other awards shows, have had to adapt their plans over the past two years due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Set to air in January 2022, the ceremony has been postponed until a later date. So when will Music’s Biggest Night finally take place?
The 2022 Grammy Awards have been postponed
The 2022 Grammy Awards were scheduled to take place on January 31st, 2022 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center). As opposed to the 2021 ceremony, the 2022 Grammy Awards were set to be a grand return to a full-sized arena for the event, as opposed to a hybrid indoor and outdoor celebration.
With the surge of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in late 2021 and early 2022, the Recording Academy chose to take precautions and postpone the event. An official statement from the Recording Academy explained the reasoning behind pushing the 2022 edition of the awards show.
“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. Given the uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks.”
No date has been set for the 2022 Grammy Awards
The statement went on to tease a new date for the event at some point in the winter or spring. “We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon,” the statement read.”
There’s no set rule when the Grammy Awards have to take place. But it wouldn’t be the first time that the Recording Academy has postponed the event due to COVID concerns.
The 2021 Grammy Awards were also postponed and modified
The 2021 Grammy Awards were originally scheduled for the same date: January 31st. But after a COVID surge following the holidays, the Recording Academy chose to postpone the ceremony until mid-March.
“The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do,” the Recording Academy’s statement read. “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”
When the ceremony finally did air, it was a first for the Grammys. To avoid crowding in an arena, the event was instead held both inside and outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. Music stars including Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles were seated at tables outside, all wearing masks. It remains unclear if the Recording Academy will follow this hybrid model for the 2022 Grammy Awards.
