The decision was made in response to the latest recommendations from Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City have been canceled, the media advocacy organization revealed Wednesday. The event was scheduled to take place on March 19.
The decision was made following briefings by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus threat in New York earlier this week.
"Given GLAAD’s long-standing commitment to the safety of our members, sponsors, and guests, the GLAAD Media Awards will no longer take place on March 19th in New York City," said Rich Ferraro, chief communications officer and executive producer of the event, in a statement. "The team at GLAAD has been in communication with the City of New York and is following the latest recommendations from Governor Cuomo."
He continued in his statement, "We were planning to unveil a historic get-out-the-vote campaign at the event because everything is at stake for LGBTQ Americans this election year, and are hopeful that the program and GLAAD’s ongoing work to fight against anti-LGBTQ discrimination will continue to be supported and funded. Since the event is canceled, our advocacy work will experience a loss of funding and we encourage community members and allies to consider becoming a GLAAD member to ensure this work continues."
Among the honorees, the New York event was set to celebrate the activism of Ryan Murphy and Judith Light. Calling them "two trailblazing beacons of LGBTQ advocacy and inclusion," Ferraro noted that their "game-changing work" will be recognized at a later date.
In his statement, Ferraro advised that GLAAD will be in touch with nominees — of which there are 175 — shortly, with plans for how award categories may be announced. Further, Ferraro advised that an update would arrive "in the coming weeks" regarding the event.
Since the coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China earlier this year, it has affected over 125,000 people in 122 countries and caused over 4,600 deaths. In addition to the GLAAD Media Awards, a number of entertainment industry events have been canceled or postponed due to the viral outbreak, including SXSW, Coachella and the Game Developer's Conference.
