“Unfortunate But Not Unexpected,” Grammy Awards 2021 Postponed Until March

The 2021 Grammy Awards will no longer take place this month in Los Angeles and will instead be broadcast in March due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

“This is unfortunate but not unexpected because of the scale of the coronavirus pandemic in California. The votes have been cast already, it’s just left for those votes to be tallied and the winners announced, but it’s more important at this time to protect the public and postpone this high profile event where this pandemic is concerned,” industry insider Cabel Stephenson, former manager of Toots Hibbert and the Maytals, told DancehallMag.

“In March, I will be looking forward to seeing Toots Hibbert or Skip Marley coming out as a winner in the reggae category.”

Toots Hibbert, the ska and reggae legend, passed away last year as a result of complications from COVID-19. He is nominated for the Best Reggae Album for his popular set, Got to be Tough while Skip Marley, the fast-rising grandson of Bob Marley, is nominated for the Higher Place EP.

The other nominees are Buju Banton for Upside Down 2020, Maxi Priest for It All Comes Back To Love and The Wailers for One World.

The Recording Academy announced on Tuesday that the annual show would shift from its original Jan. 31 broadcast to an unspecified date in March.  The Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the crisis in California, has surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths and has had 40% of the deaths in California.  It is the third state to reach the 25,000 death count.

The Daily Show host and comedian Trevor Noah is set to host the 2021 Grammys, where Beyoncé is leading contender with nine nominations. She scored nominations for song and record of the year with Black Parade, which she released on Juneteenth, while Savage — her No. 1 collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion — picked up bids for record of the year, best rap song, and best rap performance.