SAG Awards To Now Be Held In April To Avoid Grammy Conflict
Last year, film and entertainment events around the world had to readjust their schedules due to the still ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. This year, it looks like that trend is set to continue as another award show changes its schedule to avoid conflict.
Variety reports that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards has moved its ceremony to April 4 in order to not conflict with the Grammy Awards and its recently announced move to a March 14 air date. The SAG Awards previously had the March 14 date.
The organizers of the SAG Awards were not at all happy about the new Grammy Awards date, especially since they announced their intention to air on March 14 earlier. In a released statement, organizers said they were “disappointed” and expected more consideration from the Recording Academy.
The Grammy Awards had to move their ceremony from the earlier January date because of the growing number of coronavirus cases in California.
USA Today adds that the SAG Awards organizers have also expressed that they would be reimagining the award show.
In a statement, organizers praised the “creativity and resilience” of their team and the ability to adapt to the restrictions and guidelines brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. As such, the upcoming award show will instead be a one-hour special honoring the past year’s top performances.
This is not the first time that an award show has had to move because of another award show, especially now in the era of the global coronavirus pandemic. Back in June of last year, the British Academy for Film and Television Arts’ (BAFTA) British Academy Film Awards was moved to April to match the Oscars.
Just like the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs were moved because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, the British Academy also said that the move was to allow filmmakers to meet the extended eligibility period introduced by the organization last year.
Aside from the schedule changes, both the Academy Award and the BAFTAs had to “temporarily” allow the inclusion of films released on streaming services or video-on-demand services in the competition, as most theaters are closed due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
How long these award shows will have to reschedule or change the way they hold their events will depend on the state of the global coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization’s situation report for Jan. 13 puts the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world at 90,335,008 people. Deaths caused by COVID-19 globally are now at 1,954,336 people.