Due to the ongoing WGA writer’s strike, the 76th Tony Awards will unfortunately not be televised as was planned, according to TV Insider, for this year’s award season.
Originally set for June 11, 2023, the filming of the show will not be broadcast on CBS as it was previously scheduled to. Other award shows are also following changes to their planned airings, as MTV’s MTV Movie & TV Awards was pre-taped and shot without its announced host Drew Barrymore. The Tony Awards was set to be hosted by Ariana DeBose, also known for her performance in West Side Story and Hamilton, from the United Palace in New York on CBS 8/7c June 11th. People speculate that Ariana DeBose will forgo her hosting title for the award show, much like how Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angles, E.T. The Extraterrestrial) stepped aside from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards. The Tony Awards was also previously set to be available on Paramount+ to stream at the same time as the broadcast on television.
Though requested, the WGA refused to give the Tony’s Management Committee a strike waiver in pursuit of broadcasting the award show. The American Theater Wing and the Broadway League, both members of the Management Committee, have argued that the Tony Awards are an opportunistic platform to gain higher box revenue for Broadway. Hence, now the committee is faced with a new obstacle and shall reconvene to plan and decide the next plan of action. The only remaining options include holding the 76th Tony Awards, but without the televising or to just simply push back the broadcast of the show to a later date, possibly when the strike is over and regular production can resume. The award ceremony was meant to celebrate the 2022-2023 achievements of Broadway; however, until further notice, viewers and Broadway fans must wait and see what shall happen.