Tony Awards 2020 Postponed and Rescheduled Following Coronavirus Pandemic

The Tony Awards have officially followed in the footsteps of numerous other events scheduled in the next few months and decided to postpone, rescheduling the planned June ceremony for a later time. The show announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday, March 25.

"The 74th Annual Tony Awards, scheduled to air live on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 7th from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date, in coordination with our broadcast partner," the statement read. "The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans is of the utmost importance to us." "We will announce new dates and additional information once Broadway opens again," the message continued. We are looking forward to celebrating Broadway and our industry when it is safe to do so."

The Tony Awards were set to take place on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and were to be broadcast on CBS. The annual show honors the best of Broadway, though the Great White Way shut down on March 12 due to the virus. The Broadway League announced that all theaters would close until April 13, and the Broadway League and The Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) recently reached an emergency relief agreement to pay Broadway employees and provide them with health insurance during the shutdown.

The agreement will give unionized Broadway workers full pay for the week cut short by the shutdown and the contractual minimum salary for the remaining two weeks as well as full health, pension and 401(k) benefits.

"The leaders of our industry have been working tirelessly with our partners at the unions to forge an agreement that will address many of the needs of our employees during this crisis. We are a community that cares about each other, and we are pleased that we can offer some relief," said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statement, via Broadway.com. "Once we are past this challenging moment, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to our theaters to experience the best of live entertainment together once again."

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