MTV's VMAs will happen at Brooklyn's Barclays Center with a "limited or no audience"

Variety

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that the Aug. 30 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony will take place at the Barclays Center, but that it's too soon to say whether there will be an audience. A rep for MTV said full details will be announced “soon.” "Holding any sort of mass public gathering is problematic as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the country, as evidenced by the outraged reaction to a pair of country concerts over the weekend that drew between 1,000 and 2,000 fans who flagrantly disregarded social-distancing norms," reports Variety's Jem Aswad. "Adding to the controversy, in the weeks since the VMA news originally broke, Barclays Center, which is located in a densely populated part of New York City’s most populous borough, has become a gathering point for Black Lives Matter protests. This adds another layer of both complication and relevance to holding an awards show at the venue." Last month, an MTV spokesperson told Variety the network was exploring how to host a safe in-person ceremony. As Aswad points out, last night's BET Awards, held by MTV's sister network BET, was "remarkably well-produced" with a pre-taped virtual ceremony.