Tony Awards Live Broadcast Canceled Due to Ongoing Writers' Strike
Broadway’s biggest night is in jeopardy after the Writers Guild of America reportedly denied a request for a waiver to allow the awards to air on June 11
The 2023 Tony Awards are in limbo after the Writers Guild of America reportedly denied a request for a waiver to allow this year's ceremony to air as originally planned on June 11.
Amid the writers' strike, the telecast of theater's biggest night will not air on CBS, nor stream on Paramount+, according to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday.
The labor union that represents more than 1,000 writers, who work across film, television, news, and online media, went on strike because the deadline for a new contract passed on May 1 this year without a ratified contract. The strike began on May 2 and since then has caused changes to the MTV Movie and TV Awards.
Related:Late-Night Shows Shut Down as Hollywood Writers Strike Begins After Failed Negotiations
In response, the Tony Awards Management Committee has set an emergency meeting for Monday to determine the best path forward between the two available options. The first option — according to the New York Post, would be to keep the June date and invite nominees and media to a dinner or press conference, non-televised. The alternative includes postponing the show until the strike concludes and picking back up when the awards can be televised.
This year's host, Ariana DeBose, would reportedly maintain her hosting duties, even in a scaled-down ceremony, according to Deadline. DeBose, 32, also hosted last year's ceremony.
"I hope that anyone and everyone who is concerned about Broadway's biggest night of the year will pledge support for the WGA and join us in demanding that the AMPTP give their workers as much consideration as they devote to executives and shareholders," Equity President Kate Shindle told Deadline on Wednesday.
Traditionally held at Radio City Music Hall, the 76th Annual Tony Awards were announced for a June 11 telecast at the United Palace in New York City's Washington Heights.
The ceremony's live showing could jeopardize Broadway productions that count on the annual CBS broadcast for national exposure crucial to ticket sales, Deadline reports.
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The Tony Awards is not the only broadcast affected by the strike.
Late-night talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, all shut down production when the clock struck the deadline. Other shows, like HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, also went dark. Daytime talk shows including The View are forging ahead, though warning that their format will look different without its writers.
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