The Tony Awards will not be televised on June 11 as planned (exclusive)
The striking Writers Guild of America denied a request for exemption for the Tony Awards to air June 11 on CBS and stream on Paramount+, The Hollywood Reporter have learned.
Meeting this week is this season’s Tony Awards Management Committee — comprised of eight representatives from the Broadway League, including President Charlotte St. Martin and noted producers Jordan Roth and Scott Sanders, and eight representatives from the American Theater Wing, including President Heather Hitchens officially at the Writers Guild such a waiver, pointing out how much financially strapped Broadway shows depend on Tony’s show notoriety for box office boost. (Among the shows hoping for a rebound at Tonys this season are top-grossing musicals Some like it hot And Kimberly Akimbo and the play Leopoldstadt.)
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The Management Committee has called an emergency meeting for Monday morning to determine the best way forward.
The two alternative courses of action appearing to be weighed are: (a) sticking to the June 11 date and holding a non-televised awards ceremony, perhaps in the form of an intimate dinner or press conference with nominees and media present; or (b) postpone the ceremony until the strike is over and the show can be televised.
Representatives of the Broadway League, which includes many producers, theater owners and operators, are more inclined to support the first option, as many shows may not survive for months without a Tony’s stamp on their tents and promotional materials.
However, the American Theater Wing appears to be more susceptible to a delay as that organization is seen as the custodian of the Tony Awards brand, which an untelevised presentation wouldn’t help.
As the Tony Awards honor the Broadway industry, which many in the industry claim is separate from the television and film industries and yet needs the awards show as part of its post-pandemic recovery, the ceremony will be televised on CBS and Paramount+, the members are the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards have been announced for June 11 at the new location the United Palace in the Washington Heights of New York City. (The ceremony traditionally takes place at Radio City Music Hall). Ariana DeBose had been tapped to host the ceremony for the second year in a row.
The show was to be split into two parts, with a pre-show titled The Tony Awards: Act One, Airing live on Paramount Global’s FAST platform, Pluto TV, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. PT. The main ceremony aired on CBS from 8pm to 11pm ET/5pm to 8pm PT and also streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+. The presenters ahead of the show have not yet been announced.
This is the second time in recent history that the Tony Awards have been suspended. The 74th Tonys in honor of the 2019–20 Broadway season was held in September 2021, 15 months after the original date. Theaters were closed most of the time, but the ceremony also coincided with marketing around Broadway’s comeback.
At least one other awards ceremony has been disrupted by the WGA strike. The MTV Movie Awards moved from a live May 7 ceremony to a pre-taped show after the WGA said there would be pickets the award ceremony. Presenter Drew Barrymore I dropped out too before the show was switched to pre-recording in solidarity with the WGA. The guild has called off his picket line after the formatting has changed.
Caitlin Huston contributed to this story.
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