On March 14, 2021, the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to air.  The long anticipated music award show will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where it has taken place for the past 19 years.  The night consists of more than just an awards ceremony; viewers watch for the various performances from popular artists and the glamorous celebrity runways before the show begins.

Typically, the Grammys take place during January.  However due to the pandemic, the producers decided to push it back a few months.  Planning a virtual version of the Grammys just would not have the same effect, and the whole company’s team is working hard to ensure artists get the recognition they deserve.

“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,” said a joint statement on grammy.com.

During this year’s Grammys, music from late 2019 through mid 2020 will be acknowledged.  There are 83 different categories.  For the general field, some Record of the Year’ nominees are Beyonce’s “Black Parade,” Doja Cat’s “Say So,” and Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted.”  Best New Artist nominees include Ingrid Andress, Noah Cyrus, Doja Cat, and more.

“It’s great to see so many of my favorite artists getting the recognition they deserve,” said junior Talya Pecullan. 

In pop , Best Solo Performance nominees include Justin Bieber’s “Yummy,” Harry Styles’s “Watermelon Sugar,” and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.”  There are dozens of other categories, and all nominations can be found on the Grammys website.

The most popular nominees of the 2021 Grammys are Beyonce with nine nominations, Taylor Swift, Roddy Rich, Dua Lipa and Queen Bey with six, and Billie Eilish and DaBaby with four.  The Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah, the host of The Daily Show. 

“This year’s ceremony sounds like it will be one of the most memorable,” said junior Jae Longaro. 

Although the show has yet to occur, there has already been controversy among celebrities.  Nicki Minaj and The Weeknd, both popular artists this year, were surprised to not receive any nominations.  Both artists called out the Grammy Awards in recent tweets, clearly upset over the lack of recognition for their work.  Music fans were also surprised to see that Bob Dylan didn’t make the list after releasing his first album in eight years.

Although it may be an unconventional Grammys ceremony, both artists and fans are excited for the event.  It should be interesting to view Hollywood COVID protocols to keep everyone safe while having a fun night.