American Film Institute Postpones Gala Honoring Julie Andrews Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Julie Andrews is set to become the tenth woman to receive the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award.

The award was going to be presented to Andrews on April 25, 2020 at a gala in Los Angeles. However, according to Page Six, the gala has been postponed as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The source says that the gala will be rescheduled for "early summer" but no exact date has been announced as of yet.

"AFI's decision to postpone the event is simply in response to the rapidly evolving nature of current events and our promise to ensure the well-being of the artists and audience that gather each year to celebrate America's art form," AFI CEO and President Bob Gazzale said in a statement. "This move will allow our full attention to focus on the many gifts that Julie Andrews has given the world."

Read more on Page Six.

Julie Andrews is an Oscar-winning actress and singer famous for her prolific Broadway and film career in such classics as My Fair Lady, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Camelot, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Victor/Victoria and The Princess Diaries.

Andrews was born on October 1, 1935, in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England. She was a hit on the English stage before duplicating that success on Broadway, where she received Tony Award nominations for her roles in My Fair Lady, Camelot and Victor/Victoria.

She won an Academy Award for playing the title role in Mary Poppins and was also nominated for her performance in The Sound of Music. Andrews later worked on a number acclaimed films with husband Blake Edwards, and was made an English dame in 2000. Andrews is also the recipient of five Golden Globe awards, three GRAMMY AWARDS and two Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center medal and the SAG Life Achievement Award.