Screen Actor Guild Awards 'very disappointed' Grammys have been rescheduled to same date

The film and TV celebration and the music awards are now both set to take place on March 14

Renee Zellweger poses with her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in her role on 'Judy' at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 19, 2020. AP

Organisers behind the Screen Actors Guild Awards have revealed they are "extremely disappointed" a decision to postpone the Grammys Awards has created an awards-season clash.

The Sags, which celebrate achievements in film and television, are one of the hallmarks of Hollywood's trophy season, and are typically seen as an indicator of which titles might find success at the Oscars.

The organising body, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, announced last July the awards – usually held in January – would be scheduled to Sunday, March 14, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the Recording Academy announced on Tuesday, January 5 it would also move the Grammy Awards to March 14.

“We are extremely disappointed to hear of the conflicting date,” the Sag-Aftra union 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 organisations throughout the industry.”

Both awards almost clashed last year, after the Grammys announced the same ceremony date of January 26. However, Sag-Aftra moved the Sags a week earlier after the Recording Academy's announcement.

The Grammy Awards were due to take place on Sunday, January 31 but were this week rescheduled due to a coronavirus surge in Los Angeles, organisers confirmed.

“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd annual Grammy Awards," a statement said.

The Recording Academy said on Tuesday that the annual show would shift from its original January 31 broadcast to March 14. AP

"The deteriorating Covid-19 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."

The Daily Show host and comedian Trevor Noah is set to host the 2021 Grammys, where Beyonce is a leading contender with nine nominations. She scored nominations for Song and Record of the Year with Black Parade, which she released on Juneteenth, while Savage — her chart-topping collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion — picked up bids for Record of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.

Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, Jhene Aiko, Post Malone, Renee Zellweger, Billie Eilish and her producer-brother Finneas also scored nominations. First-time nominees include The Strokes, Megan Thee Stallion and Harry Styles.

Since the pandemic, a number of awards show were postponed and later revamped due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Organisers of the annual Oscars last year moved the 2021 ceremony to April from late February because of the pandemic, while this year's Golden Globes ceremony was moved to Sunday, February 28, from its usual early January date.

Other major awards shows, including television's Emmys and the MTV Video Music Awards, went ahead in the autumn with a mix of live, pre-recorded and socially distanced appearances by celebrities, but without an audience.

- Additional reporting by Reuters