By Gbenga Adedayo
The 63rd Grammy Awards has been postponed to Mar. 14 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to its organizer The Recording Academy.
Nigeria’s Burna Boy is nominted for Best Global Music Album Grammy award category.
The Recording Academy, broadcaster CBS and show producers said in a joint statement ― released on the Grammys’ official website ― that the deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles had led them to conclude that the decision was inevitable.
As of Wednesday, Los Angeles County reported more than 820,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 10,000 deaths.
“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 ― 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,” they said.
The Grammys, one of the world’s most prestigious music awards, was initially scheduled to be held without an audience on Jan. 31 in Los Angeles. Since BTS secured a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category in November ― the first for a K-pop group ― the event has drawn extensive attention in Korea. BTS is competing against global stars, including Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, with its hit song “Dynamite.”
-Koreatimes