Grammy's To Leave LA For Las Vegas Amid COVID Surge

LOS ANGELES, CA — After postponing the 64th Grammy Awards ceremony due to LA's Omicron-fueled COVID surge, the Recording Academy decided to gamble on a move to Las Vegas, the event's organizers announced Tuesday.

It's the second year in a row that the Grammys were postponed due to the pandemic. Since 1999, the Grammy's have been held in Los Angeles all but two years when they briefly shifted to New York. Organizers didn't cite a reason for the change in venue, but the postponement set off a chain reaction of scheduling conflicts.

Instead of being held at the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles this month, the Grammy's are now slated for April 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy announced. The postponement reportedly led to scheduling issues involving not only the availability of Crypto.com Arena but also finding a slot in the CBS broadcast schedule.

The new date also forced CMT Music Awards to be rescheduled. The country music awards show had been scheduled for the same night in Nashville. Both awards ceremonies are broadcast by CBS. A new date for the CMT show was not immediately announced, with officials saying only it would be later in April.

"We are excited to take the Grammys to Las Vegas for the very first time, and to put on a world-class show," Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. "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. We appreciate the leadership CBS has shown during these challenging weeks and the flexibility of the CMTs and others who worked toward this solution."

The show will still be hosted for the second year in a row by Trevor Noah.

Jon Batiste is the top nominee for the 64th Grammy Awards, with 11 nods, while Disney actress-turned-singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has nominations in the top categories of best new artist and record, song and album of the year.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.