CEREMONIES AND THE SECOND WAVE

As COVID-19 spikes again, awards shows—which had already pivoted to virtual or low-capacity affairs—face an uphill battle. Last-minute replacements and cancellations have affected just about every organized event since mid-March, with particularly heavy impact on sports and live broadcasts (think SNL).

There have been reports of two positive cases affecting Wednesday's CMA Awards on ABC, putting an 11th-hour kibosh on performances by Florida Georgia Line and Lee Brice.

Over the next two weeks, three other major broadcast events are scheduled to take place. Recent awards shows like the BBMAs and ACMs saw artists performing at venues with no crowd in attendance. Protocols like this and strict testing procedures have prevented contagion among events participants thus far.

Now, just as such ceremonies are beginning to expand the production of "live" performances—with some hoping for at least small audiences—this latest round of Covid rears its ugly head.

How many more hiccups must the CMAs, People's Choice Awards, Latin Grammys and AMAs be forced to endure?