The Grammy Awards are set to double security to avoid any awkward incidents akin to Will Smith’s violent outburst at the recent Academy Awards in Hollywood.
Sunday night will see the biggest names in music gathering in Las Vegas to discover if they have won an award or two at the most prestigious night of music celebrations.
But organisers are said to have been spooked by the recent Oscars ceremony that saw 53-year-old Will storm the stage to slap 57-year-old Chris Rock square in the face after he made an ill-judged joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, 50.
As a consequence, security is being doubled at the music event in order to ensure no one ends up on stage unexpectedly.
A source told the news to The Sun on Sunday and added: “There have been frantic meetings all week to ensure that the show goes smoothly and there are no controversial scenes.
“Organisers have had enough trouble getting the show off the ground with the pandemic to contend with, so adding this into the mix has been a huge pressure . . .
“Everyone attending knows there is a strict code of conduct and if they don’t abide to it, they’ll be kicked out.”
The Mirror had previously reported that stars attending Sunday night’s awards had been warned to comply with new, strict rules – and told they risk being stripped of their awards if they step out of line.
The organisers of the 64th awards – which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and hosted by Trevor Noah of The Daily Show – are also warning artists to be cautious about what they say on stage.
A source said: “These awards have taken months of organising after what has already been a very stop-start process, and after the Oscars, the organisers don’t want anything affecting the night.
“A lot saw it as a huge shame that deserving winners saw their glory overshadowed at the Oscars.
“And with the spotlight firmly on the biggest music event in the US calendar, there’s a lot riding on it being a success, so they’re just keen for artists to be respectful and tread carefully about what they say of others and how they behave generally.”
The Grammys has already been postponed from its original January 31 date amid concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.
It was scheduled to be held in Los Angeles but has now been moved to Sin City. So with all of this in the mix, organisers have reportedly barred Kanye West from performing because of “concerning online behaviour”.
Last Sunday, Hollywood was gobsmacked when Will slapped Chris in front of an A-List crowd.
He later apologised online, writing: “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
And then, on Friday, he announced he had quit the Academy as a member in light of his violent actions, writing: "I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.
"So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.”
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