Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Spotify
Glass Animals are missing the2022 Grammy Awardsbecause ofCOVID-19, the group announced on social media on Sunday.
In a statementposted to Instagramshortly before the ceremony began in Las Vegas, Glass Animals said that he and the rest of the band would not be attending the show because lead singer Dave Bayley had tested positive for the respiratory virus.
Despite being"epically COVID-cautious"and “testing relentlessly,” Bayley “received a positive result on a rapid PCR,” he shared in the band’s statement.
While his group members tested negative, Bayley wrote Sunday that they had all spent time together the day before and the rest of the band would be missing the awards show as well.
“I feel fine, and am showing no symptoms so far, but nonetheless it would be truly irresponsible for me to attend the Grammy ceremony,” he wrote.
“I am so overwhelmingly heartbroken,” Bayley wrote. “Not just within myself, but for everyone who has worked so insanely hard with us over the past couple of chaotic years, and for every one of you who supported and believed in this project enough to get us here through thick and thin.”
Check out PEOPLE’s fullGrammy Awardscoverage to get the latest news on music’s biggest night.
“I wanted to be there for all of us as this has been a colossal team effort. I wanted to do it for Joe who survived that horrible accident and was strong enough to recover,” he continued, referring to bandmate Joe Seaward, who was injured in acycling accidentin 2018.
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Bayley added, “I wanted to do it for our label, management, and crew who have hearts of gold and steered us through the s—storm of the pandemic. And I wanted to do it for my best friend who passed away who I do all of this for.”
Bayley wrote in their statement that the group’s hit song “Heat Waves” was about his late friend, explaining that the song was “about missing someone and loss in difficult times.”
He added, “That difficult time has bitten us tonight, and we will miss sharing the evening with you all. The meaning of the song is hitting me hard right now.”
Glass Animals are up for their very first Grammy Award this year: The group is nominated for best new artist.
source: people.com
