MTV cancels final ‘Making the Band’ auditions amid coronavirus pandemic

Thousands of fans to be disappointed as their opportunity to impress Sean 'Diddy' Combs in-person is delayed due to virus

The final two open casting calls for MTV's 'Making the Band'— one in Charlotte on Friday and March 21 in NYC— have been canceled over COVID-19 precautions.

Ny Magee

Mar 12, 2020

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Auditions for the Making the Band reboot have been put on hold amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The final two open casting calls— one in Charlotte on Friday and March 21 in NYC— have been canceled over COVID-19 precautions.

MTV said in a statement released on Twitter, “As a precautionary measure to ensure the health of our production crew, talent and aspiring artists, all public auditions for MTV’s “Making the Band” in Charlotte, NC on March 13-14 and New York City on March 21-22 have been canceled. Safety remains our utmost priority, and we’re continuing to defer to health officials and the CDC for guidance.”

[PLEASE READ] Important updates regarding #MakingTheBand auditions. pic.twitter.com/7yEE6HUQyc

— makingtheband (@MakingTheBand) March 12, 2020

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who was set to attend the NYC auditions at MTV Studios, tells TMZ, “We want to make sure everyone is safe during these times, so we had to make the decision to cancel the in-person casting events.”

Adding, “But at the same time, I want to provide an opportunity to everyone to audition from their homes. So I’ve put together a team of A&Rs that will be checking #MTBcasting on all social platforms 24/7 to find gems. Everyone be safe!”

TheGrio previously reported that though it has been over a decade, Diddy and his sons will team up to revive the music mogul’s hit reality show.

Combs and his three sons, Christian Combs, Quincy Brown, and Justin Combs, announced in a video that they are reviving the MTV show, with Diddy once again starring as the mentor and his sons serving as judges, along with show veteran, LaurieAnn Gibson, creative director, and celebrity choreographer.

The reboot is set to premiere later this year although an official date has not been set.

“We not settling for just anybody,” Quincy said in a video clip announcing the show’s revival. “If you feel like you got what it takes to compete in today’s industry—y’all know how our pops does it. So expect nothing but the best to be showing up.”

The show kicked off a multi-city casting tour in Atlanta on Feb. 28-29.

Making the Band first ran on ABC in 2000, culminating with the band O-Town. Two years later, Diddy took over the show and moved it to MTV. Acts that came out of it include Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang.