The Recording Academy has announced that the 64th Grammys, scheduled for Jan. 31, have been postponed. In a joint statement, the Recording Academy and broadcast network CBS wrote:

“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 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 31 simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music's Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”

Update 1/18: The Recording Academy has announced that the Grammys have been rescheduled for April 3 - and relocated from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Today’s statement: “The 64th Annual Grammy Awards have been rescheduled and will now broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sun, April 3 (8-11:30 p.m., live ET/5-8:30 p.m., live PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Trevor Noah, Comedy Central's Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show host and comedian, will return as master of ceremonies for Music's Biggest Night.”

The Grammys news comes as the omicron variant of Covid-19 sweeps across the United States, causing an unprecedented wave of infections even among fully vaccinated people - although vaccines continue to provide crucial protection against severe illness and death. The winter wave is forcing the cancellations or postponements of numerous live events, adding further misery to the music industry after nearly two years of safety concerns surrounding concerts.

Whenever this year’s Grammys are held, there will be a newly expanded slate of artists contending for the top prizes - with many Minnesotans in the mix.