MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Live Show Canceled After Drew Barrymore Exit
There's been another shakeup to the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards.
The May 7 show will not be broadcasted live as previously planned following host Drew Barrymore's exit, according to executive producer Bruce Gillmer.
"As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards' show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create," he said in a statement to E! News May 5, "we're pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, 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.
A pre-taped ceremony is scheduled to air in place of the live broadcast.
News of the change comes one day after Barrymore announced she was stepping down as host at this year's awards show in solidarity with the striking members of the Writers Guild of America.
"I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live," she said in a statement to Variety. "Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I'll be watching from home and hope you will join me."
However, the Charlie's Angels alum noted that she hopes to host the 2024 ceremony. "I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with," she continued. "And I can't wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive."
At the time, Gillmer said the network supported her decision. "She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers," he told Variety, "which we have full respect for."
The WGA went on strike May 2 after six weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down. Since then, many productions have been affected.
For one, an episode of Saturday Night Live initially slated to feature Pete Davidson as host and Lil Uzi Vert as the musical guest was canceled earlier this week due to the strike. Late-night shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert have also gone dark.
"The WGA Negotiating Committee began this process intent on making a fair deal," the guild said in a statement ahead of the strike, "but the studios' responses have been wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing."
The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards will air May 7 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV with simulcasts on BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.
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