For the second year in a row, the 2022 Grammy Awards are being postponed, due to the ongoing pandemic. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on January 31 at the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center.
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th annual Grammy Awards show,” the Recording Academy announced in a statement. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”
More details, including a new date, have yet to be announced. Last year’s event moved from a large ceremony to a stripped-down, outdoor event, with nominees rotating in and out of the venue, and both live and pre-recorded performances.
Mickey Guyton and Chris Stapleton lead the pack of country artists with the most nominations, with three each. Guyton is nominated for Best Country Album, with her long-awaited debut Remember Her Name record, and for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for the title track. Stapleton is also nominated in the same categories, with Starting Over for Album of the Year, “You Should Probably Leave” is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance, and “Cold” is nominated for Best Country Song.
“I was reminded recently of the C. S. Lewis quote, ‘The longest way round is the shortest way home’ and I am home now,” Guyton said when the nominations were announced. “I am a living breathing witness that you should never ever give up on yourself. No matter what anyone says, know your worth and trust your gut no matter how many times anyone tries to push you down. I am so incredibly grateful. This is for Breonna. This is for Grayson. This is for my family. This is for women in country music. This is for people of color in country music. We are here. Our stories matter. Our voices matter.”
Maren Morris received two nods. The singer is nominated for Best Country Song, for “Better Than We Found It,” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for her “Chasing After You” duet with her husband, Ryan Hurd. Walker Hayes also received his first Grammy nomination, for Best Country Song, for “Fancy Like.”
Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for their soaring “If I Didn’t Love You” duet. Dan + Shay received a nomination, in the same category, for their recent “Glad You Exist” single.
Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne and Kacey Musgraves each received two nominations. Lambert is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for her “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” duet with Elle King, and Best Country Album for her collaborative The Marfa Tapes with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall.
Brothers Osborne were nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for “Younger Me,” and Best Country Album, for Skeletons.
Musgraves’ two nods were for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, both for “Camera Roll.” The song is from her latest Star-Crossed album, which was surprisingly deemed ineligible to be nominated in the Country Album category.
See the complete list of nominees here.
