Coronavirus concerns: Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards postponed

The 2020 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards have been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.

The prizegiving, which was to be hosted by Chance the Rapper at The Forum in Inglewood, California on 22 March, has been postponed “in consideration of the safety and well-being of every person involved with the show”.
A new date will be announced in the coming weeks.

The news comes as the producers of all live New York-based talk and late-night shows have opted to tape programmes without studio audiences. Earlier on Wednesday, the 31st GLAAD Media Awards, set for New York on 19 March, were also scrapped due to ongoing health concerns.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has also decided to film her daily show in Burbank, California without a live studio audience amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has officially been declared a pandemic by officials at the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended all travel from mainland Europe for the next 30 days in an effort to contain the virus, which has claimed the lives of 4,600 people around the world.

In America, major festivals, like this month’s SXSW and April’s Coachella and Stagecoach, have been cancelled or postponed, and on Wednesday evening, officials at the National Basketball Association suspended the entire season until further notice after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

Filming has also been affected – production on TV drama Riverdale has been shut down after producers learned a crew member had come into contact with a coronavirus victim, and Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia, where the Oscar winner was preparing to shoot director Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis Presley biopic.

Meanwhile, the premiere of Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington’s new TV drama, Little Fires Everywhere, has been cancelled due to health concerns. The screening was scheduled for Thursday night.

“As you are all aware, the current state of affairs has altered the daily lives of many people, including our cast and crew,” a statement reads. “After hearing from many of you, and out of an abundance of caution, we are cancelling tomorrow’s Little Fires Everywhere premiere screening and celebration.

“We are extremely proud of this series and can’t wait to share it with you when it debuts on Hulu on March 18. Thank you for your understanding.” Musicnews