Grammy Awards ceremony postponed to April 3

The 2022 Grammy Awards ceremony has been postponed due to rising Covid-19 cases because of the omicron variant. The awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, according to a joint statement released Tuesday from the Recording Academy and CBS.

Earlier, the organisers had announced that the ceremony won't be held as scheduled on January 31. "Holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks," the Recording Academy had said in a statement.

The Recording Academy said it made the decision to postpone the ceremony "after careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners."

Last year too, the Grammys ceremony was postponed from January to mid-March amid COVID-19 concerns. When it was eventually held, it was a socially distanced event with minimal live audience, and pre-recorded performances.

The 2022 edition was expected to return to the usual gala format at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. Jon Batiste is the leading nominee for this year's honours, grabbing 11 nods in a variety of genres including R&B, jazz, American roots music, classical and music video. Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are tied for the second-most nominations with eight apiece.