MTV Movie & TV Awards pivots to pre-taped special as WGA plans to picket
Santa Monica, California - MTV has decided to air a pre-taped version of the upcoming MTV Movie & TV Awards after the host backed out as Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers continue to strike.
According to Variety, the show planned for Sunday at Barker Hangar will go on, but it will not be broadcast live or in front of an audience as it has been for years.
"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... as we honor the best of film and TV over the past year," executive producer Bruce Gillmer explained in a statement.
MTV has been struggling to keep the awards show together, as the scheduled host Drew Barrymore recently announced that she will no longer be hosting to show solidarity with WGA writers that recently went on strike.
The WGA is demanding more adequate wages in the streaming era and announced on Friday that they plan to picket outside the event.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis was inspired to follow in Barrymore's footsteps, sharing on Instagram that she will be no longer presenting an award during the show.
"The [WGA] needs and deserves my support and I won't cross their picket line," she added.
The pre-taped version of the MTV Movie & TV Awards will air this Sunday at 5 PM PT.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/ ZUMA Wire & imagebroker