First Ever Telecast Of 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards In June Cancelled By Council

Designers Ashley (L) and Mary-Kate Olsen smile backstage with their award for Womenswear Designer of the Year at the 2012 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards in New York June 4, 2012. PHOTO: REUTERS/LUCAS JACKSON

The Council of Fashion Designers of America has cancelled its first-ever telecast of the 2016 CDFA Fashion Awards that will be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on June 6. However, CFDA president and CEO Steven Kolb announced Tuesday that the television broadcast has been cancelled. So fans of the awards show will have to rely on Twitter and Snapchat to get a glimpse into this year’s show.

The 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards will be held at The Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time after seven years at Alice Tully Hall. There will be a new format featuring performances, live fashion and the return to a seated dinner with the new venue. Kolb said that due to all this, they decided not to move forward with a television broadcast opportunity this year.

The CFDA had announced in March that it would broadcast the Fashion Awards show live on TV from Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time. The decision was taken by the board of directors, including Chairman Diane von Furstenberg and members Vera Wang, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger. A deal to this effect was signed with The Weinstein Company.

The company had planned to produce and distribute the rights to air the show to a national outlet. “As previously announced, the 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards will be held at The Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time after seven years at Alice Tully Hall. The new venue comes with a dynamic new format featuring performances, live fashion and the return to a seated dinner,” a statement issued by Kolb said.

It added that with all the changes, they decided to drop the plan for the television broadcast. The nominees for the Awards this year are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as well as Gucci’s Alessandro Michele. The awards show recognizes the outstanding contributions made by individuals from all areas of the industry and related arts towards American fashion.

Categories include design excellence in womenswear, menswear and accessories. Besides, there are awards also for accomplishments in journalism, creative vision and lifetime achievement.