New Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021
The 63rd edition of the Grammy Awards won’t be taking place later this month as originally announced. The music award ceremony has been rescheduled to March 14 because of the worsening COVID pandemic in Los Angeles. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the Recording Academy, CBS, and show producers.
The awards were originally slated to take place on Jan. 31 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and to be broadcast on the CBS network, with comedian and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah hosting.
“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host, and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021,” the statement reads. “The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”
The announcement was signed by Harvey Mason Jr., Recording Academy chair and interim president and CEO, Jack Sussman, CBS executive vice president of specials, music, live events and alternative programming, and Ben Winston, Grammy Awards executive producer of Fulwell 73 Productions.
“We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors, and especially this year’s nominees for their understanding, patience, and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times,” the press statement adds.
Selena, the late “queen of Tejano music,” will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award along with other music greats, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, and Salt-N-Pepa.
Selena’s 1993 album, Live, won best Mexican-American album at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards, the first time a female Tejano artist won the category. The singer died tragically in 1995 as she was getting ready to crossover into the general mainstream market, which she did with the pop album Dreaming of You released four months after her death. Don Juan Demarco, the film which marked the singer’s Hollywood acting debut as part of a cast that included Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando, and Faye Dunaway was also released after her death.
The coveted music prize recognizes the best of music every year, with 83 categories being honored this time around. It also includes special awards. Among the artists competing in the Latin music categories this year are: Bad Bunny, Camilo, Kany García, Ricky Martin, Debi Nova, Bajofondo, Cami, Cultura Profética, Fito Paez, Lido Pimienta, Alejandro Fernández, Lupita Infante, Natalia Lafourcade, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, Christian Nodal, José Alberto “El Ruiseñor,” Edwin Bonilla, Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis, Grupo Niche, and Víctor Manuelle.
— Latin Heat News Service