The show must go on. The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards crowned winners during a broadcast on Sunday, May 7, without a red carpet or host.
Drew Barrymore was set to be the emcee during a live show. However, she pulled out on Thursday, May 4, amid the Writers Guild of America strike.
“I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike. Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation,” Barrymore said in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me. I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with. And I can’t wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive.”
Barrymore will host in 2024, but this year’s event was not live. Writers Guild of America announced on Friday, May 5, that members would picket outside the show at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and MTV announced the following day that the awards show would no longer be broadcast live. Fans saw the Drew Barrymore Show host’s pre-taped sketches as well as several new clips from upcoming films, including The Little Mermaid.
“We’re pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect, and countless moments that will both surprise and delight,” executive producer Bruce Gillmer said in a statement via CBS.
Though the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards were not live, fans still had to wait for the show to air to find out which nominees took home the golden popcorn. Competing for Best Movie were Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Nope, Scream VI, Smile and Top Gun: Maverick. The Best TV Show category was just as competitive with Stranger Things, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Wednesday, Wolf Pack, Yellowstone and Yellowjackets nominated.
The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards aired on MTV Sunday, May 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
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See the full list of nominees and winners below:
