Organizers of the Golden Raspberry Awards (popularly known as Razzies) have had a change of heart as the 2020 edition which was scheduled to take place despite the ongoing spread of the coronavirus has been canceled.
The decision was reached this past weekend and co-founder John Wilson released a statement which reads:
“Tonight’s live Razzie ceremony had to be canceled/postponed because the Mayor of Los Angeles shut down all city-owned venues where more than 50 people could gather, including our site, The Barnsdall Theatre. Without a hall, we could not proceed with the show, but we are hoping to have a video to disseminate by tonight (Saturday, March 14) – Perhaps even by what had been our original ‘curtain time’ of 8pm. Obviously, if there is no live show, there is nothing to be streamed, either.”
Traditionally taking place the night before the Academy Awards, this year’s Razzies was shifted because of the premiere of the 2020 Oscars.
The Razzies recognize the worst movies performances of the year, and among the top contenders is Cats (in which singer Taylor Swift is featured).
Also canceled include shows like the Juno Awards and the GLAAD Media Awards. The Kids’ Choice Awards has been postponed, while the BAFTA Games Awards is going to be live-streamed.
The continued spread of COVID-19 has a major impact on the entertainment industry on a global scale as cinemas in different parts of the world have shut down, and box office figures show a record-low performance.
