UPDATE: Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 SAG Awards will look very different compared to previous years. According to Variety, who first broke the news, the award show is going to be pre-taped, including winner announcements. More surprising, the event will be limited to a one-hour running time.
"We're looking at trying to do a unique award ceremony in an hour and leave people saying, which they very rarely do [with an awards show], 'Man, I wish we had more,'" executive producer Todd Milliner told the publication.
Along with the changes, the SAG Awards won't have a host, a red carpet or a set. Replacing the razzle-dazzle, the show will instead feature comedy bits and other segments.
"It is a jam-packed hour, and we're still trying to rob from one part to give to another part," Todd explained. "When you start parsing out that hour, we didn't really have time for a stage. Honestly, if none of the rest of the show was going to be live we thought, let's put the rest of this time into those segments [such as 'I Am An Actor' and In Memoriam]."
The ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, April 4, at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST on TNT and TBS. This isn't the only shake-up, read below to see how awards season has evolved in the wake of COVID-19.
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UPDATE: The 2021 SAG Awards have been postponed. In order to avoid a conflict with the 2021 Grammys on March 14, the SAG Awards will now be held the following month on Sunday, April 4.
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Looks like music fans will have to wait a bit longer for the 2021 Grammys.
On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Recording Academy announced that the prestigious awards show has been postponed due to COVID-19. The show, which was slated to take place in just a few weeks on Jan. 31, has now been rescheduled for March 14, 2021.
"After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling 'The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards' to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021," a statement read. "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."
The statement concluded, "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."
Though the set-up for the event was already planned to be much different than previous years—no live audience and only presenters and performers on-site—the pushed back date may result in even more safety protocols.
The short-list of nominations was released on last November and caused a load of controversy amongst music artists.
The Weeknd, who released his album After Hours in March, was one of the artists who felt snubbed by the organizers as he was not nominated for any category. The "Blinding Lights" singer took his frustration to Twitter at the time, writing, "The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…"
On a different note, fellow Canadian crooner Justin Bieber, who is nominated in four separate categories, took issue with the fact that his album Changes was only considered in the pop music categories.
"To the Grammys, I am flattered to be acknowledged and appreciated for my artistry," he wrote in an Instagram post. "I am very meticulous and intentional about my music. With that being said, I set out to make an R&B album. Changes was and is an R&B album. It is not being acknowledged as an R&B album which is very strange to me."
Additional nominated artists include Beyoncé with a whopping 10 noms, Taylor Swift with six, Billie Eilish with four and Megan Thee Stallion with four, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for her hit song "Savage" featuring Queen Bey.
This article was originally published on Tue, Jan 5, 2021, 12:47 p.m.