The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly) - The Hollywood Reporter Awards Special
How to Navigate Awards Season Amid the Delta Surge
Scaled-down FYC screenings and exclusive events have returned, but COVID-19 still threatens to crash the party
Scaled-down FYC screenings and exclusive events have returned, but COVID-19 still threatens to crash the party.
Safely.” That’s the word Cynthia Erivo employs to describe how she’s stepping out during this year’s awards season, one that has once again been dented by the COVID-19 pandemic amid rising concerns over the delta variant and renewed mask mandates for indoor spaces. “I’m approaching it as safely as I possibly can, but I’m excited to see people,” says the star, Emmy-nominated for her turn as the Queen of Soul in Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha.
Seeing people has mostly been relegated to small screens for virtual events, much like last year — but not completely. Studios, streamers and networks have hosted some in-person gatherings, but the look, feel and logistics are not back to normal. “The volume is not what it was pre-pandemic,” Amy Ramirez, Swisher Prods. chief creative officer and senior vp production, tells THR. “It’s just a lot harder, logistically. The studios are trying other creative ways to get out there.”
“Creative” is another buzzword. Take for instance an Aug. 13 stunt for Hacks, from HBO Max and Universal Television, that saw nominated co-creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky join nominee Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Meg Stalter and consulting producer Joe Mande atop a double-decker bus for a surprise pop-up comedy set outside West Hollywood’s Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. Statsky praised Universal for putting health and safety first while also creating a scene reminiscent of episode three, which finds Jean Smart’s Debra Vance doing a surprise set atop a bus on the Las Vegas Strip. “It’s such a cool way to integrate it by bringing the fans in so they could experience this. It mirrors shooting during COVID because you have to think outside the box and be nimble. Because we can’t do things like we used to, let’s think of new ways and figure it out.”
Netflix, honored with 129 nominations, has a packed schedule for its FYSEE activities in L.A. that will feature “mobile interactive experiences and partnerships with local eateries,” like a snow globe photo event at the Original Farmers Market for Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square with pies from Du-Pars Restaurant and Bakery; a truck stop outside the Paul Smith pink wall offering limited edition chess sets along with food and latte art by Carrera Café for The Queen’s Gambit; and a
Big Mouth “Lunch Break” at Pink’s Hot Dogs, where campfire-inspired meals will be served, among others.
Even this year’s Emmy Awards are being reimagined. The TV Academy announced Aug. 10 that it would be moving the Primetime telecast and the Creative Arts ceremonies from Microsoft Theatre to L.A. Live’s event deck in order to create an “indoor/outdoor” setting that can accommodate socially distanced seating. As another precaution, the Academy is limiting the number of nominees who will be allowed to attend by allotting no more than four tickets per nomination. “Unfortunately, this means not all nominees will be able to attend this year’s awards,” the Academy stated, a blow to top nominated shows such as The Crown (with its long list of executive producers).
One awards season specialist tells THR that mounting any event right now (or in coming months) requires that you refresh a browser daily if not hourly to scan the latest updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and county public health officials. “That’s the real issue,” the source says. “You can plan the safest event possible, but you have to keep checking to see if anything has changed.”
One way to proceed with caution has been to hold events outdoors, minimize the number of guests and to keep gatherings adults-only as a way to protect children, a demographic that has yet to receive widespread vaccines. “Our lists are just more curated now,” notes the insider, who says plans are taking shape for October, November and December events during the thick of film awards season. “If you get an invite in 2021, it’s because someone wants or needs you to be there. No more random plus-ones.”
In order to follow health and safety protocols, event planners now must hire medical teams either for advance COVID19 testing or to conduct on-site rapid tests. Another added invoice comes courtesy of websites that attendees use for submitting proof of vaccination or negative tests complete with verification programs installed in order to flag any fakes. “It adds up,” says the event source. “It could run you anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per event. It works out to about $200 per person for a rapid test, and that is a big expense, especially when it’s a cost that was never part of producing an event before.”
It all comes back to safety, and while that is top of mind for Erivo, she’s also made space for optimism. On Sept. 19, she hopes to toast longtime friend Michaela Coel, a multiple nominee for her HBO series I May Destroy You. “We discovered today that it’s been 16 years that we’ve known each other. To be able to share this moment in person would be a dream come true, really.”