The upcoming 2020 MTV Video Music Awards will be held with "limited or no audience", according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Many awards shows have been postponed or cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic this year, but on Monday, Cuomo announced the annual music prizegiving will go ahead on 30 August with few spectators and in accordance with social distancing safety protocols. It is set to take at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
A representative for MTV has confirmed that bosses at the network are working with city officials to hold the gathering, despite the global health crisis, noting that "the health and safety of artists, fans, industry, staff, and partners is of the utmost importance."
"We're elated to bring the 2020 VMAs back to NYC, the cultural mecca of the world where music and entertainment are woven into the DNA," said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events for ViacomCBS Media Networks, in a press release, while Oliver Weisberg, the CEO of Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets, added: "The 2020 MTV VMAs will be the first Barclays Center event since the COVID-19 pandemic reached New York."
Further details are set to be confirmed closer to the date of the event based on "the science and data in New York."
The VMAs were last held at the Barclays Center in 2013.
The news comes after the BET awards were held virtually on Sunday night with pre-taped segments and no audience.
