Writers Guild Confirm Grammy Awards Picket
Jan 16,2008 00:00
The writer's strike has threatened to do some major damage to one of the music industry's biggest nights of the year. Now, it's official. There will be a picket line at next month's 50th Anniversary Grammy Award ceremony and many musicians won't cross it.The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said Monday (Jan. 14) that it won't grant a waiver for the CBS telecast, according to Variety. And it told the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) that attendees will have to cross a picket line on Feb. 10 at Los Angeles' Staples Center to attend the event, if the strike is still on.
As previously reported, a strike may cause the WGA's musical allies to pull out of the show.
"The WGA has informed us that this is struck work, and they expect to have a picket line in place," a SAG spokesman said. "In those circumstances, our members have been unwilling to cross a picket line, and we anticipate that solidarity will continue."
This year's Grammys may have to go on without some of it's biggest stars. Beyonce, T.I., 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Usher, Queen Latifah, Fergie, Justin Timberlake and Fantasia are among those nominated musicians who have appeared in films and on TV. On top of that the gala usually features a substantial amount of actors presenting awards. The show will have have to go on without them as well.
The Grammys could claim the same fate as last Sunday's Golden Globes. That show didn't receive a waiver either and all nominees in acting categories vowed they would not cross a WGA picket line. The event was relegated to basic news conference status, nixing the celeb jokes and banter and whittling the show down to little more than reading the nominees and winners.
The WGA has already cancelled its own awards show scheduled for Feb. 9 and the Feb. 24 Oscar's is still uncertain, but the guild indicated last month that it wouldn't grant a waiver if requested.