Both the Grammy Awards and the Sundance Film Festival have changed their 2022 plans due to a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country (via CNBC and Indiewire). The Grammy Awards show has been postponed until further notice, and the Sundance Film Festival will go virtual, rather than risk an in-person event.
The 64th Grammy Awards ceremony was scheduled for January 31st, but as noted in a post on the Grammy Awards website, CBS and the Recording Academy have decided to push it back “after careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts.” There isn’t mention of a rescheduled date, but CBS and the Recording Academy say that “will be announced soon.” The Grammy Awards was postponed last year because of the pandemic and was held in March without a live audience. Viewership for the 2021 Grammys broadcast reportedly hit a record low.
Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente and festival director Tabitha Jackson have announced modified plans for the Sundance Film Festival, with the Utah-based show airing solely online. It was initially supposed to be a hybrid event, but festival organizers decided to go all virtual, citing the high transmissibility of the omicron variant. The Sundance Film Festival will still begin on January 20th and will consist of 11 days of online programming, with some adjustments to the screening schedule. COVID-19 had an impact on the Sundance Film Festival last year as well — not only was the event held online, but the effects of the pandemic were artfully weaved into some of the featured films.
