The rapid increase in infections with the new Omicron COVID-19 variant has put the whole world on alert. The new year began with rumors of the cancellation and postponement of many scheduled events. This is now the case of the 64th Grammy Awards, which has been confirmed to be postponed from Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, and will now likely take place in March. 

The Recording Academy announced on Wednesday, Jan. 5 that "holding the show on Jan. 31 simply takes too much risk", and they hope to be able to announce a new date soon.

This is the second year in a row that the Grammy Awards have been delayed due to COVID-19. Last year, the event was also scheduled for Jan. 31, but was moved to March 14 in an attempt to safeguard the health of the participants and to comply with health protocols at the time. 

Although the organization was excited to be able to return to an in-person show with the energy of an audience, the 2022 edition will follow the same restrictions as last year, and is expected to combine live and pre-recorded performances in a crowd-free environment. 

Just like last year, comedian Trevor Noah of Comedy Central's The Daily Show will host this year's gala. This year's edition will be the first to feature 10 nominees instead of the usual eight for the four main categories: Best Album, Album and Song of the Year and Best New Artist.