The Peabody Awards ceremony won’t go on, thanks to the Writers Guild of America strike.
The Peabody Awards organization did not mention the strike as the main reason for the cancellation. But the organization implied in a statement Monday that it was a major contributing factor.
“Due to the ongoing uncertainty and meaningful challenges that exist industrywide, we have decided to cancel the 83rd annual Peabody Awards ceremony that was set to take place on June 11 in Los Angeles,” the organization said in a statement.
The awards show is the latest casualty of the WGA strike. Earlier this month, the MTV Movie and TV Awards show was canceled after host Drew Barrymore dropped out in support of the striking writers. The Emmy Awards, set to broadcast in September, are at serious risk of cancellation if the strike continues through the summer.
The WGA strike, which began May 3, is in its third week, with no expectation of stopping. However, since the directors’ and actors’ unions are expected to start negotiations early next month, some industry insiders predict the strike will end soon.
Some of the most publicized demands of the writers include higher wages, improvements to residuals made from streaming media and restrictions on artificial intelligence technology.
The Peabody Awards have been running since the early 1940s and say they honor “the most powerful, enlightening and invigorating stories in television, radio and online media.”
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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