Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has called off its Pop Awards and its Film, TV & Visual Media Awards in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Both events had been scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this May, and BMI indicated in its statement that they will be rescheduled “when we can safely celebrate.” The prominent performing rights organization (PRO) then provided words of encouragement concerning the ongoing pandemic: “We hope our BMI family, their loved ones and the community-at-large stay safe and well.”
Founded in 1939, BMI is among the United States’ leading PROs. More than one million songwriters, including Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, and Lil Wayne, to name just some, are part of the organization. During 2019’s fiscal year, BMI collected nearly $1.3 billion worth of royalties and distributed a near amount to members.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the cancellation and postponement of countless concert tours, music festivals, and industry functions, from SXSW to the iHeartRadio Music Awards, as well as many events in between. Music-industry companies have experienced sizable stock-value decreases, and some artists have cut staff because of financial difficulties.
Compounding the live-event industry’s difficulties is the fact that multiple state and local governments have instituted lockdowns, ordered non-essential businesses to close, and banned large gatherings. Other states and cities yet are employing similar efforts to curb COVID-19’s spread, and the vast majority of public events, from NBA games to Coachella, have been put on ice.
Today, the United States and Mexico closed their border to non-essential travel; Canada and the U.S. implemented similar limitations on the northern border earlier this week. Doctors have diagnosed over 270,000 COVID-19 sufferers worldwide, and more than 11,000 have perished because of the infection.
Stateside, approximately 18,000 citizens have come down with COVID-19. Far-reaching prevention and treatment measures are being employed throughout the country, though generally harder-hit European nations, including Italy and France, have instituted mandatory lockdowns.