Critics Choice Award postponed in light of COVID-19; will take place in February-March

The Critics Choice Association has recently announced the postponement of the Critics Choice Awards. The association has said that the stay will last for at least six weeks. Now, the organisation has issued a note to the members with some new guidelines and stated that the new dates will be revealed soon.

Given concerns of COVID-19 and the fast-spreading Omicron variant, the Critics Choice Awards ceremony, which was scheduled for 9 January 2022, has now been moved into late February or March 2022. According to a report by Variety, the Critics Choice Association has issued a note to the members, which stated that both vaccines and boosters of all attendees and staff are mandatory when it is rescheduled. The voting dates will also be pushed as the show has been moved later into the awards season. The group added that the dates will be announced shortly, but the final voting for the upcoming awards will be done after mid-February. 

Decision to postpone Critics Awards 'prudent' and 'responsible' 

The organisation took to its Instagram handle and wrote, "After thoughtful consideration and candid conversations with our partners at The CW and TBS, we have collectively come to the conclusion that the prudent and responsible decision at this point is to postpone the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, originally slated for 9 January 2022. We are in regular communication with LA County Public Health officials, and we are currently working diligently to find a new date during the upcoming awards season in which to host our annual gala in-person with everyone’s safety and health remain our top priority. We will be sharing additional details with our friends and colleagues throughout the entertainment industry as soon as we can. (sic)"

The delay came just a few days after the organisation had sent out a statement declaring that the show would go pre-planned, news agency ANI reported. But, the letter issued to the members stated that concerning the state of Los Angeles, where the hospitalisations have been increased, the event has been postponed. It included that the health officials advised the organisation to cut back on the number of attendees and prevent members from entering the main room at the Fairmount Century Plaza. So far, the association is planning to hold a member lottery to decide who gets seats in the main ballroom. The Critics Choice Awards winners were set to be revealed by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer on 9 January 2022, but the ceremony will still take place whenever it happens.

(Image: @criticschoice/Instagram)