The 2023 Tony Awards will not be televised due to writers’ strike

The 2023 Tony Awards, also known as Broadway’s biggest night, was originally scheduled to air live on June 11 on CBS while also being available to stream on Paramount+.

However, on Friday, the Writer’s Guild of America denied a waiver request from the Tony Awards’ organizers. As such, the show, which was supposed to be hosted by ‘West Side Story’ star Ariana DeBose, will not be televised.

What happens now?

The Tony Awards Management Committee is composed of 17 individuals, including president Charlotte St. Martin, producers Scott Sanders and Jordan Roth, and eight members of the American Theater Wing.

The committee proposed a waiver to the striking writers, but was denied. Members of the committee will meet again on Monday to determine the next best course of action.

Sources suggest that the Tony Awards only have two options.

The first being the committee retains the June 11 date, but instead of hosting a televised awards show, they might hold a press conference or intimate dinner with the nominees.

The second option would be to postpone the Tony Awards altogether until the strike ends.

It’s reported that members of the Broadway League are more favorable to keeping the June 11 date, while The American Theater Wing is more inclined to support a delay in the awards show.

MTV Movie & TV Awards

The Tony Awards is only the second awards show to be disrupted by the strike. The MTV Movie & TV Awards aired a pre-recorded show on May 7.

The decision to do so was made after host Drew Barrymore dropped out of the event in solidarity with the striking writers.

“As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards’ show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create, we’re pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peeks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect and countless moments that will both surprise and delight as we honor the best of film and TV over the past year,” said Bruce Gillmer, the executive procure of the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

“The show may not look and feel the same as the one we originally planned, but the team is hard at work readying to put on another great show, giving fans a chance to celebrate all the film and TV this year,” Gillmer added.