The Recording Academy has announced a new date and location for the Grammy Awards.
Originally scheduled for January 31, 2022, the show was postponed due to an increase COVID-19 cases and the fast spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant. It has now been pushed back to April 3, 2022.
The prestigious award show was initially supposed to take place in Downtown Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center). Along with rescheduling the date, the location of the ceremony has also been forced to change. The event will now be broadcast from 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 the organization’s message to members.
“From the moment we announced the postponement of the original show date, we have been inundated with heartfelt messages of support and solidarity from the artist community. We are humbled by their generosity and grateful for their unwavering commitment to the Grammy Awards and the Academy’s mission.”
The announcement was quickly followed by confirmation that comedian Trevor Noah is still on board to host the awards. Noah also hosted last year’s event, which was similarly postponed. He proved to be a popular choice amongst both fans and critics, and he confirmed in December 2021 that he has been invited back.
This year, the Grammy’s will feature even more nominees than usual. Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist will all have 10 nominees instead of the usual eight.
Singer and jazz pianist Jon Batiste leads the pack this year with 11 nominations, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best R&B Album.
Other big nominees include Doja Cat, H.E.R., Justin Bieber, all with eight nominations, as well as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo who each received seven.
The newly rescheduled ceremony on April 3, 2022, will be broadcast live as well as streamed on Paramount+.
