The 65th annual Drama Desk Awards will not go on as scheduled May 31. The remote ceremony was to take place on the Spectrum network NY1 (and stream online), a decision made in April due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has kept theatres and other venues shuttered. Instead, the channel will continue its coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place in the city and beyond.

"As an organization committed to the principle that all voices must be heard, we stand with the global Black Lives Matter movement, decrying the racial injustice and violence in our nation and city," Drama Desk Co-Presidents Charles Wright and David Barbour said in a joint statement. "We are grateful to NY1 for its comprehensive news coverage at this painful moment."

Rescheduling details for the ceremony, celebrating Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre in a season cut short due to the health crisis, will be announced at a later time.

Protesters have held rallies and demonstrations regularly in New York City since Thursday, demanding justice in the wake of the killings of Black men and women around the country, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.