The 2021 Grammys have been postponed due to health and travel concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ceremony was due to go ahead on January 31 in California  hosted by Trevor Noah, but it is now believed the awards will be staged in mid-March.

The postponement will keep the nominees waiting to see if they have landed one of the prestigious gongs. Beyonce picked up the most nominations, collecting nine including Record of the Year, while Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa are up for six each. 

The news was confirmed by an awards representative to Variety and the organisers released a statement saying: “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. 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.”