The Tony Awards have, earlier this year, hosted its 74th annual ceremony, online via the coronavirus pandemic. The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, co-presenters of the annual tradition, have announced that the 2020 procedure will take place in the form of a digital ceremony this fall.
No word yet on further details, including an exact date and decisions on eligibility (as determined by the Tony Awards Administration Committee).
“While unusual events shortened the 2019-2020 Broadway season, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized,” Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin and American Theater Wing President Heather Hitchens in a joint statement. ‘We are excited not only to find a way to celebrate this incredible performance of our artists this season, but also to uplift the entire theater community and show the world what makes our Broadway family so special at this difficult time. The show has to keep going, no matter what – and it will. ‘
This ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall. On March 25 (about two weeks after Broadway productions went dark), the League and Wing made the announcement that this year’s celebration was delayed indefinitely; this marks the first major update on the event since then.
At the time of the Broadway closure, 16 shows had not officially opened for the 2019-2020 season (the eligibility window was due to end on April 23); half of these had to play one more preview.
When the public health crisis hit just as the theater industry was approaching the award season, several other annual events had to make similar decisions to change their plans. For example, the Drama Desk Awards, Obie Awards, and Lucille Lortel Awards opted for streaming ceremonies – whether live or pre-recorded – to recognize shows that had played prior to the mass meeting restrictions. Some opted to win winners online. The pandemic and urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement also made way for a new distinction: The Antonyos, presented by Broadway Black. The virtual event streamed on June 19th.
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