There is a rumor going around that the 2022 Grammy Awards will be postponed in light of the surge in cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant. According to Billboard, an unnamed “source with direct knowledge” said that such a situation is “looking likely.”
This year’s ceremony is currently set to take place on January 31 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Just as life was starting to get back to some semblance of normalcy, Omicron, which has quickly become the most dominant strain of Covid-19 in the US, has been forcing many to rethink their plans. Though milder for those who have been vaccinated, the variant has proven highly transmissible regardless of vaccination status. In light of this, many artists have been cancelling shows all over again, whether it’s because of positive Covid tests or out of an abundance of caution.
As of right now, this is just a rumor, as a representative from the Recording Academy has said that nothing has been determined as of yet. They also warned against paying attention to speculation.
If true, this would be the second year in a row that the music industry event was rescheduled due to the pandemic. Last year, the award show was pushed back two months, eventually taking place on March 14, 2021. That show was also moved from the Staples Center (now known as the Crypto.com Arena) to the Los Angeles Convention Center so guests could be properly spaced out.
Nominations for the 2022 award show were announced back on November 23, 2021 during a livestream from Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum. Among those nominated for Best Metal Performance are Deftones, Gojira, Dream Theater, Mastodon and Rob Zombie. Deftones are also nominated for Best Rock Performance along with AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Chris Cornell and Black Pumas. Wolfgang Van Halen received his first nomination for Best Rock Song. Best Rock Album nominees include AC/DC, Black Pumas, Chris Cornell, Foo Fighters and Paul McCartney.
Preceding the 2022 ceremony, the nomination process changed in an effort to ensure transparency. All categories are now voted on solely by the Recording Academy’s members instead of decided on by anonymous committees.
