SAG Awards 'extremely disappointed' by Grammys' same day rescheduling

SAG-AFTRA is not thrilled to learn that the Grammys will now be airing on the same day as the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Awards) on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

The guild said that they are "extremely disappointed" about the scheduling conflict. SAG-AFTRA noted that they booked the date first and so asked for consideration to have the mix up ironed out.

"We are extremely disappointed to hear of the conflicting date, March 14th, announced today for this year's Grammy Awards telecast. 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," the guild said in a statement published by Variety.

The semi-virtual 63rd annual Grammy Awards was initially scheduled to air on Jan. 31. But given the health scare amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Recording Academy decided to postpone it to what it perceived could be a safer date.

"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 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," reads the official announcement of the rescheduling posted on the Grammys website on Tuesday.

"Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show. We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors, and especially this year's nominees for their understanding, patience, and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times," the statement concluded.

It is unclear if the Grammys and CBS realised that SAG-AFTRA already booked March 14 for the 27th annual SAG Awards. Both have yet to release a statement to address the schedule conflict. This is the second time that both organisations competed for the same dates. Last year, both the Grammys and SAG Awards ended up scheduled on Jan. 26 and the latter had to move a week earlier on Jan. 19.