The Grammy Awards ceremony due to take place on Jan 31 has been rescheduled to March 14 because of the coronavirus surge in Los Angeles, organisers said on Tuesday.

The new date, announced by the Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS in a joint statement, clashes with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards ceremony for film and television.

The organizers said the ceremony to present the highest honours in the music industry had been delayed after talks with health experts and musicians.

“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,” the statement said.

“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,” it added.