Now that the Recording Academy and CBS have moved this year’s Grammy Awards telecast to March 14, that puts it in competition with the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards — and SAG-AFTRA is not happy with the news.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the shuffling of most dates this awards season, and as the Oscars and Golden Globes pushed their 2021 ceremonies into the spring, so did the SAG Awards, which announced the revised March ceremony date on July 2.
Meanwhile, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County and across the country, the Recording Academy announced on Tuesday that it would scrap plans to hold the Grammys on Jan. 31 and instead move it to the new date. It’s unclear whether the Recording Academy or CBS realized that SAG-AFTRA had already laid claim to March 14.
“We are extremely disappointed to hear of the conflicting date, March 14th, announced today for this year’s Grammy Awards telecast,” the guild said in a statement. “We announced the same date for the SAG Awards last July with the intent to give the greatest possible scheduling consideration for other awards shows. We expect the same consideration from sister organizations throughout the industry.”
This isn’t the first time the Grammys and the SAG Awards have wound up on competing dates. For the 2020 awards season, the 26th Annual SAG Awards were originally scheduled for Jan. 26, 2020. But when the Grammy Awards were announced for the same date, SAG-AFTRA moved the SAG Awards a week up, to Jan. 19.
“The SAG Awards recognizes outstanding acting performances over the past year,” SAG-AFTRA continued in its statement. “We will again put on a spectacular show that accomplishes that mission. Our two organizations, SAG-AFTRA and the Recording Academy, share members and work together effectively to advocate for artists in many areas. In an environment that is increasingly challenging for televised awards programs, we also have a mutual interest in successfully showcasing the artistry and talent of our respective memberships. We are in contact with the Recording Academy and will continue to work with our sister organizations to find ways to make this year’s awards season as successful as possible.”
As part of the move to March 14, the SAG Awards is extended this year’s eligibility period by two months, including all works exhibited or broadcast between January 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. Nominations for the 27th Annual SAG Awards will be announced on Thursday, February 4, 2021.