Hollywood Critics Association move to outside venue for inaugural TV awards

The Hollywood Critics Association announced today that due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, its Inaugural HCA TV Awards will now take place in the 45,000-square-foot outdoor space at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 22, 2021. The organization will also offer free rapid COVID testing on the premises, while everyone in attendance must be fully vaccinated. 

“Our goal is to create a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable evening under the stars, and we are taking all of the necessary steps to make certain that all of our guests feel comfortable,” adds HCA Founder Scott Menzel. “Over the past several weeks, we have been diligently working around the clock to ensure that our event meets and exceeds all current industry standards.”

The organization’s proof of vaccination policy will require all attendees to upload evidence of vaccination before the ceremony or show their vaccination card at the Westin upon check-in. The HCA will be following all state and local COVID-19 guidelines, and no one will be admitted into any portion of the event without proof of vaccination.

In addition, the HCA will require a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the event for all attendees, including credentialed press. The organization will provide on-site testing to those who cannot test before the ceremony. In the days leading up to August 22, the HCA will continue to monitor the ongoing situation closely and take any additional necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of all guests.

The Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) announced the nominees of its inaugural television awards on July 8 where Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso scored 8 nominations followed by Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale with 7. The awards are the first of its kind to separate streaming and broadcast network categories, giving a wide berth to celebrate more shows and more performances in an effort to capture how we watched television in 2020 and the first half of 2021. As with the Television Academy’s Primetime Emmy Awards, the HCA TV Awards number of nominations in each category is based on total submissions.