2020 CMT Music Awards Moved to October Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
The CMT Music Awards traditionally take place in June, but due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the country music-focused awards show is being pushed to the fall this year. The 2020 ceremony is now scheduled for October.
The new date for the 2020 CMT Music Awards is Oct. 14, moved back about four months from their original date of June 3. CMT announced the change on Friday (April 3).
"Our top priority this last month has been rebuilding our hometown of Nashville following the [March 3] tornado and ensuring the safety of our fans, employees, artists and partners during the COVID-19 crisis," the network explains in a statement. "As we look forward to celebrating country music’s biggest stars together with our community and viewers, we will continue to follow the guidance of the CDC and local public health officials."
The CMT Music Awards generally help kick off CMA Fest, the annual four-day country music festival in Nashville. However, the Country Music Association announced Tuesday (March 31) that CMA Fest has been canceled for 2020, again due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be the first time in 48 years that the event, formerly known as Fan Fair, has not taken place.
In recent days, the country music community has been rocked by the news that the coronavirus killed '90s hitmaker Joe Diffie, who died Sunday (March 29) at the age of 61. Other artists who've tested positive for coronavirus include Kalie Shorr, Laura Bell Bundy and John Prine.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only touched individuals, it's wreaked havoc on the entertainment world in general, with a tremendous number of artists and festival organizers choosing to cancel or postpone tours and events for 2020. To date, there are more than 213,000 recorded cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, and 4,513 people have died of the disease in the U.S. alone, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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