Celebrating America

{{Short description|2021 television special following the inauguration of Joe Biden}}

{{Infobox television

| image =

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| alt_name =

| native_name =

| genre =

| creator =

| based_on =

| inspired_by =

| developer =

| writer = {{plainlist|

Dave Boone
Jon Macks}}

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = Glenn Weiss

| creative_director =

| presenter = Tom Hanks

| starring =

| judges =

| voices =

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer = Chris Walden

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons =

| num_episodes =

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = {{plainlist|

Stephanie Cutter
Ricky Kirshner
Rod O'Connor
Glenn Weiss}}

| producer = Sarah Levine Hall

| news_editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| animator =

| editor = {{plainlist|

Michael Polito
Chester Contaoi
Ben Folts
Enrique Gutierrez
Brian Kelly
Timothy Schultz}}

| camera =

| runtime =

| company = {{plainlist|

White Cherry Entertainment
Presidential Inaugural Committee}}

| budget =

| network = ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, BET, CNN and MSNBC

| released = {{Start date|2021|01|20}}

| related =

}}

Celebrating America is a television special which aired as part of the post-inaugural events following the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. Hosted by actor Tom Hanks and produced by Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, and Stephanie Cutter, the special featured musical performances and speeches from various Americans, including those from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The show was nominated in two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and Outstanding Music Direction.{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/celebrating-america-an-inauguration-night-special |title=Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special |website=Emmys.com |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 13, 2021}}

Description

File:Kamala Harris' speech during Celebrating America.ogg

Traditional inaugural balls, which often gather hundreds of dignitaries to see the president and extend late into the evening, were not held due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A primetime television special, Celebrating America, aired as a substitute in simulcast across most major television networks and other cable and streaming outlets. Hosted by Tom Hanks, the evening event opened with a performance of "Land of Hope and Dreams" by Bruce Springsteen on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.{{Cite web|last=Lejeune|first=Tristan|date=January 20, 2021|title=Bruce Springsteen kicks off 'Celebrating America' special with 'Land of Hope and Dreams'|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/535150-bruce-springsteen-kicks-off-celebrating-america-special-with|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121031546/https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/535150-bruce-springsteen-kicks-off-celebrating-america-special-with|archive-date=January 21, 2021|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=TheHill|language=en}} Hanks then addressed viewers, emphasizing the "promise of our promised land", and introduced four guests, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dolores Huerta, Brayden Harrington, and Kim Ng who, respectively, recited lines from the inaugural addresses of presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, reflecting on their speeches' emphasis of national unity, confidence, patriotism, and peace.{{Cite web|last=Arkin|first=Daniel|date=January 20, 2021|title=Top moments from Biden's 'Celebrating America' inauguration special|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/celebrating-america-top-moments-biden-s-presidential-inauguration-special-n1255103|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121050600/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/celebrating-america-top-moments-biden-s-presidential-inauguration-special-n1255103|archive-date=January 21, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=NBC News|language=en}}

Anthony Gaskin, a Virginia UPS deliveryman, introduced Jon Bon Jovi, who performed an acoustic rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles. Yo-Yo Ma performed a cello solo sampling "Amazing Grace", "Goin' Home" from Dvořák's 9th symphony, and "Simple Gifts". Biden was then introduced by Hanks to the U.S. Navy Band Brass Ensemble's playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief"; he spoke inside the Lincoln Memorial and emphasized the importance of "opportunity, liberty, dignity, and respect". Ant Clemons and Justin Timberlake then performed their song "Better Days" in Memphis, Tennessee.{{Cite web|date=January 20, 2021|title=Ant Clemons on Performing 'Better Days' with Justin Timberlake During the Inauguration Special|url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/ant-clemons-on-performing-better-days-with-justin-timberlake-during-the-inauguration-special/2509599/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121031827/https://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/ant-clemons-on-performing-better-days-with-justin-timberlake-during-the-inauguration-special/2509599/|archive-date=January 21, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=NBC Los Angeles|language=en-US}} Mackenzie Adams, a Washington elementary school teacher, then introduced Foo Fighters; frontman Dave Grohl opened the performance by acknowledging the "creative ways" educators have dealt with teaching modality challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the band performed "Times Like These".{{Cite magazine|last=Weprin|first=Alex|date=January 13, 2021|title=Tom Hanks Hosting 'Celebrating America' Inaugural Special With Performances From Demi Lovato & More|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9510519/celebrating-america-hosted-tom-hanks-lineup-demi-lovato|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113161326/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9510519/celebrating-america-hosted-tom-hanks-lineup-demi-lovato/|archive-date=January 13, 2021|access-date=January 15, 2021|magazine=Billboard|language=en}} A cavalcade of Broadway stars performed "Seasons of Love" and "Let the Sunshine In".

File:667A0935 (50911775693).jpg performing “Firework” at the National Mall.]]

Chef and philanthropist José Andrés discussed the food insecurity crisis in America, and introduced Morgan Marsh-McGlone, a Wisconsin elementary school student who raised over US$52,000 for the hungry by creating an online lemonade stand. Lin-Manuel Miranda then recited Irish poet Seamus Heaney's "The Cure at Troy",{{Cite web|last=Chamlee|first=Virginia|date=January 18, 2021|title=Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, José Andrés and More for Biden Inaugural Special|url=https://people.com/politics/lin-manuel-miranda-biden-inaugural-special/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118182819/https://people.com/politics/lin-manuel-miranda-biden-inaugural-special/|archive-date=January 18, 2021|access-date=January 18, 2021|website=PEOPLE.com|language=EN}} with Biden joining him to in unison recital of the final line, "And hope and history rhyme". It is a poem often quoted by Biden, such as in his address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. American members of the Expedition 64 mission on the International Space Station then greeted viewers from orbit. Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a football game for a Power Five conference team, introduced Vice President Harris to four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail, Columbia"; she characterized the American people as "bold, fearless, and ambitious", exemplifying the Apollo 11 Moon landing and civil rights and women's suffragette movements.{{cite news|first=Alexandra|last=Hurtado|title=The First Female Vice President Kamala Harris Makes Her First Speech as Veep: 'We Not Only Dream, We Do'|date=January 20, 2021|work=Parade|url=https://parade.com/1152414/alexandra-hurtado/watch-kamala-harris-inauguration-speech-video/|access-date=February 20, 2021}} John Legend then performed his rendition of "Feeling Good".

Sandra Lindsay, a nurse who is the first U.S. citizen to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,{{Cite news|last=Otterman|first=Sharon|date=December 14, 2020|title='I Trust Science,' Says Nurse Who Is First to Get Vaccine in U.S.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/nyregion/us-covid-vaccine-first-sandra-lindsay.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230225623/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/nyregion/us-covid-vaccine-first-sandra-lindsay.html|archive-date=December 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331}} introduced Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw, who performed their collaborative song "Undivided" on a Nashville rooftop.{{Cite magazine|last=Freeman|first=Jon|date=January 19, 2021|title=Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard to Perform on Joe Biden's Inauguration TV Special|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/tim-mcgraw-tyler-hubbard-biden-inauguration-special-1116322/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119182521/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/tim-mcgraw-tyler-hubbard-biden-inauguration-special-1116322/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|access-date=January 19, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}} Former presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama, appearing in the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater, remarked on the importance of uniting America and witnessing the peaceful transfer of power; they also offered words of support for Biden and Harris. Demi Lovato then celebrated frontline healthcare workers in their performance of Bill Withers's song "Lovely Day". In closing the special, Katy Perry performed her song "Firework" during a fireworks show over the Washington Monument, with views of Biden, Harris, and their spouses watching from the White House and Lincoln Memorial.

Appearances

=Speakers=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" colspan=2\| Speaker ! scope="col" \| Description ! scope="col" \| Location ! scope="col" \| Notes
60px ! scope="row" \| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar \| Former professional basketball player \| rowspan="4"\| \| Recited a portion of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address
60px ! scope="row" \| Dolores Huerta \| Labor leader and civil rights activist \| Recited a portion of Franklin D. Roosevelt's inaugural address
! scope="row" \| Brayden Harrington \| 13-year-old student who spoke about his experience with Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention \| Recited a portion of John F. Kennedy's inaugural address
! scope="row" \| Kim Ng \| General manager of the Miami Marlins \| Recited a portion of Ronald Reagan's inaugural address
60px ! scope="row" \| Eva Longoria \| Actress \| Los Angeles, California \|
! scope="row" \| Anthony Gaskin \| UPS deliveryman \| Midlothian, Virginia \| Introduced Jon Bon Jovi
! scope="row" \| SGT Brennan Lombardo \| United States Marine Corps aviation operations specialist \| Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan \|
60px ! scope="row" \| Joe Biden \| President of the United States \| Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. \|
! scope="row" \| Cavanaugh Bell \| 8-year-old boy who started his own food pantry \| Gaithersburg, Maryland \| Introduced Ant Clemons and Justin Timberlake
! scope="row" \| Mackenzie Adams \| Elementary school teacher \| Seattle, Washington \| Introduced Foo Fighters
60px ! scope="row" \| Kerry Washington \| Actress \| Los Angeles, California \|
60px ! scope="row" \| José Andrés \| Chef and philanthropist \| Washington, D.C. \| Introduced Morgan Marsh-McGlone
! scope="row" \| Morgan Marsh-McGlone \| Elementary school student who raised money for the hungry by creating an online lemonade stand. \| Belleville, Wisconsin \|
60px ! scope="row" \| Lin-Manuel Miranda \| Actor \| United Palace in New York City, New York \| Recited Seamus Heaney's "The Cure at Troy"
60px 60px 60px 60px ! scope="row" \| Kathleen Rubins Shannon Walker Victor J. Glover Michael S. Hopkins \| American crew members of Expedition 64 \| International Space Station \|
60px ! scope="row" \| Sarah Fuller \| College football placekicker for the Vanderbilt Commodores \| Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee \| Introduced Kamala Harris
60px ! scope="row" \| Kamala Harris \| Vice President of the United States \| National Mall in Washington, D.C. \|
! scope="row" \| Sandra Lindsay \| Nurse who became the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine \| New York City, New York \| Introduced Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw
60px 60px 60px ! scope="row" \| Bill Clinton George W. Bush Barack Obama \| Former presidents of the United States \| Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington County, Virginia \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" colspan=2| Speaker

! scope="col" | Description

! scope="col" | Location

! scope="col" | Notes

60px

! scope="row" | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

| Former professional basketball player

| rowspan="4"|

| Recited a portion of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address

60px

! scope="row" | Dolores Huerta

| Labor leader and civil rights activist

| Recited a portion of Franklin D. Roosevelt's inaugural address

! scope="row" | Brayden Harrington

| 13-year-old student who spoke about his experience with Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention

| Recited a portion of John F. Kennedy's inaugural address

! scope="row" | Kim Ng

| General manager of the Miami Marlins

| Recited a portion of Ronald Reagan's inaugural address

60px

! scope="row" | Eva Longoria

| Actress

| Los Angeles, California

! scope="row" | Anthony Gaskin

| UPS deliveryman

| Midlothian, Virginia

| Introduced Jon Bon Jovi

! scope="row" | SGT Brennan Lombardo

| United States Marine Corps aviation operations specialist

| Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

60px

! scope="row" | Joe Biden

| President of the United States

| Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

! scope="row" | Cavanaugh Bell

| 8-year-old boy who started his own food pantry

| Gaithersburg, Maryland

| Introduced Ant Clemons and Justin Timberlake

! scope="row" | Mackenzie Adams

| Elementary school teacher

| Seattle, Washington

| Introduced Foo Fighters

60px

! scope="row" | Kerry Washington

| Actress

| Los Angeles, California

60px

! scope="row" | José Andrés

| Chef and philanthropist

| Washington, D.C.

| Introduced Morgan Marsh-McGlone

! scope="row" | Morgan Marsh-McGlone

| Elementary school student who raised money for the hungry by creating an online lemonade stand.

| Belleville, Wisconsin

60px

! scope="row" | Lin-Manuel Miranda

| Actor

| United Palace in New York City, New York

| Recited Seamus Heaney's "The Cure at Troy"

60px
60px
60px
60px

! scope="row" | Kathleen Rubins
Shannon Walker
Victor J. Glover
Michael S. Hopkins

| American crew members of Expedition 64

| International Space Station

60px

! scope="row" | Sarah Fuller

| College football placekicker for the Vanderbilt Commodores

| Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee

| Introduced Kamala Harris

60px

! scope="row" | Kamala Harris

| Vice President of the United States

| National Mall in Washington, D.C.

! scope="row" | Sandra Lindsay

| Nurse who became the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine

| New York City, New York

| Introduced Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw

60px
60px
60px

! scope="row" | Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama

| Former presidents of the United States

| Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington County, Virginia

=Performances=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" \| Performer(s) ! scope="col" \| Song(s) ! scope="col" \| Location
Bruce Springsteen \| "Land of Hope and Dreams" \| Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Jon Bon Jovi \| "Here Comes the Sun" \| Miami, Florida
Yo-Yo Ma \| "Amazing Grace" "Goin' Home" from Dvořák's 9th symphony "Simple Gifts" \| Boston, Massachusetts
Ant Clemons Justin Timberlake \| "Better Days" \| Memphis, Tennessee
Black Pumas \| "Colors" \| Austin, Texas
Foo Fighters \| "Times Like These" \|
Broadway theatre performers{{cite web \|last=Gans \|first=Andrew \|title=Watch Over 35 Broadway Stars Usher in a 'Season of Love' During Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Inauguration Celebration \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/watch-over-35-broadway-stars-usher-in-a-season-of-love-during-joe-biden-kamala-harris-inauguration-celebration \|website=Playbill \|access-date=16 February 2021 \|language=en \|date=21 January 2021}}{{hidden begin}}Seth Rudetsky James Wesley Ali Stroker Andy Karl Anthony Rapp Audra McDonald BD Wong Beth Malone Betty Buckley Chandra Wilson Charlotte d'Amboise Chita Rivera Christopher Jackson Daphne Rubin-Vega Derrick Baskin Fredi Walker-Browne James Monroe Iglehart Javier Muñoz Jenna Ushkowitz Jessie Mueller Jose Llana Juli Rudetsky-Wesley Keala Settle Laura Benanti Leslie Uggams Mandy Gonzalez Natasha Yvette Williams Olga Merediz Orfeh Peppermint Renée Elise Goldsberry Rosie Perez Ruthie Ann Miles Vanessa Williams Wayne Brady Wilson Heredia{{hidden end}} \| "Seasons of Love" "Let the Sunshine In" \| New York City, New York
John Legend \| "Feeling Good" \| National Mall in Washington, D.C.
DJ Cassidy Ozuna Luis Fonsi \| "Taki Taki" "Despacito" \| Los Angeles, California
Tyler Hubbard Tim McGraw \| "Undivided" \| Nashville, Tennessee
Demi Lovato \| "Lovely Day" \| Los Angeles, California
Katy Perry \| "Firework" \| National Mall in Washington, D.C.

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" | Performer(s)

! scope="col" | Song(s)

! scope="col" | Location

Bruce Springsteen

| "Land of Hope and Dreams"

| Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Jon Bon Jovi

| "Here Comes the Sun"

| Miami, Florida

Yo-Yo Ma

| "Amazing Grace"
"Goin' Home" from Dvořák's 9th symphony
"Simple Gifts"

| Boston, Massachusetts

Ant Clemons
Justin Timberlake

| "Better Days"

| "Colors"

Broadway theatre performers{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Watch Over 35 Broadway Stars Usher in a 'Season of Love' During Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Inauguration Celebration |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/watch-over-35-broadway-stars-usher-in-a-season-of-love-during-joe-biden-kamala-harris-inauguration-celebration |website=Playbill |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=en |date=21 January 2021}}{{hidden begin}}Seth Rudetsky
James Wesley
Ali Stroker
Andy Karl
Anthony Rapp
Audra McDonald
BD Wong
Beth Malone
Betty Buckley
Chandra Wilson
Charlotte d'Amboise
Chita Rivera
Christopher Jackson
Daphne Rubin-Vega
Derrick Baskin
Fredi Walker-Browne
James Monroe Iglehart
Javier Muñoz
Jenna Ushkowitz
Jessie Mueller
Jose Llana
Juli Rudetsky-Wesley
Keala Settle
Laura Benanti
Leslie Uggams
Mandy Gonzalez
Natasha Yvette Williams
Olga Merediz
Orfeh
Peppermint
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Rosie Perez
Ruthie Ann Miles
Vanessa Williams
Wayne Brady
Wilson Heredia{{hidden end}}

| "Seasons of Love"
"Let the Sunshine In"

| New York City, New York

John Legend

| "Feeling Good"

| National Mall in Washington, D.C.

DJ Cassidy
Ozuna
Luis Fonsi

| "Taki Taki"
"Despacito"

| Los Angeles, California

Tyler Hubbard
Tim McGraw

| "Undivided"

| Nashville, Tennessee

Demi Lovato

| "Lovely Day"

| Los Angeles, California

Katy Perry

| "Firework"

| National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Production and broadcast

Celebrating America was produced by Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, and Stephanie Cutter the same team that produced the 2020 Democratic National Convention.{{cite web |last1=Gardner |first1=Chris |title='Celebrating America' Inauguration Special Producer on How They Pulled Off the January Event |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/producer-ricky-kirshner-on-pulling-off-celebrating-america-in-just-6-weeks-with-high-security-secret-fireworks-tom-hanks |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=8 February 2021 |language=en |date=22 January 2021}} It was broadcast on all major television networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, as well as cable networks such as BET, CNN and MSNBC. It was also livestreamed online through the Presidential Inaugural Committee's YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch accounts. Streaming partners for the event include Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNow from Fox, DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.{{cite web |last=Countryman |first=Eli |title=How to Watch Tom Hanks' 'Celebrating America' Inauguration Special |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/how-to-watch-celebrating-america-tom-hanks-1234886773/ |website=Variety |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=en |date=20 January 2021}}

The fireworks display for the program's finales was created by Strictly FX.{{cite web |last1=Lampert-Greaux |first1=Ellen |title=Inauguration Fireworks by Strictly FX |url=https://www.livedesignonline.com/news/inauguration-fireworks-by-strictly-fx |website=LiveDesignOnline |access-date=7 February 2021 |language=en |date=3 February 2021}}

Reception

=Critical response=

The event was acclaimed by critics, with Caroline Framke of Variety writing that Celebrating America "perfectly encapsulates President Joe Biden".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/celebrating-america-inauguration-special-tv-review-biden-1234889202/ |title='Celebrating America': Earnest Inauguration Special Perfectly Encapsulates President Joe Biden |first=Caroline |last=Framke |website=Variety |date=20 January 2021 |access-date=16 February 2021}} Lily Janiak of the San Francisco Chronicle described the special as "meh TV but fantastic civics" and that it could "help us make ordinariness and kindness normal again."{{cite web |last=Janiak |first=Lily |title=Review: Inauguration special 'Celebrating America' is meh TV but fantastic civics |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-inauguration-special-celebrating-america-is-meh-tv-but-fantastic-civics |website=Datebook | publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=en |date=20 January 2021}} Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson of Deadline Hollywood wrote that Celebrating America proved a "solemn & successful affair" and that it was "a PSA for the USA, and maybe the calming medicine of a message that we and the world needed to hear."{{cite web |last1=Patten |first1=Dominic |last2=Johnson |first2=Ted |title='Celebrating America' TV Review: Tom Hanks-Hosted Biden Inauguration Special Proves A Solemn & Successful Affair |url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/inauguration-tv-review-celebrating-america-joe-biden-tom-hanks-bruce-springsteen-eva-longoria-kerry-washington-1234677341/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=en |date=20 January 2021}} Writing for The Independent, Mark Beaumont said that the special made Biden's inauguration "a safe, soothing tribute to anti-fascism."{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/joe-biden-inauguration-review-b1790497.html |title=Celebrating America review: Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry and more made Biden's inauguration concert a safe, soothing tribute to anti-fascism |first=Mark |last=Beaumont |website=The Independent |date=21 January 2021 |access-date=16 February 2021}}

While he described the special's content as "more the entertainment-politics equivalent of a chain restaurant with a big menu" where "it wasn’t going to be anyone’s favorite, but everyone could find something on the menu for them", chief television critic of The New York Times James Poniewozik wrote that it "promised that daylight is coming" and that "the long, cold, lonely winter would end, and the sun would come."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/celebrating-america-inaugural-concert.html |title=Critic's notebook: 'Celebrating America' promised that daylight is coming. |first=James |last=Poniewozik |website=The New York Times |date=20 January 2021 |access-date=16 February 2021}}

=Viewership=

More than 21 million people watched the television special,{{Cite news|last=Koblin|first=John|date=January 21, 2020|title=Biden's Inauguration Scores Bigger TV Ratings Than Trump's|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/business/media/biden-inauguration-tv-ratings-cnn.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122014805/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/business/media/biden-inauguration-tv-ratings-cnn.html|archive-date=January 22, 2021|issn=0362-4331}} with CNN's broadcast being watched by over 6 million people, as part of its overall coverage of the inauguration ceremony. NBC's broadcast of the special was the most watched among the broadcast networks, followed by ABC and CBS. The three networks' telecast of the event competed with Fox's The Masked Dancer and Name That Tune and The CW's Riverdale and Nancy Drew.{{cite web |last=Metcalf |first=Mitch |url=http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-wednesday-cable-originals-network-finals-1-20-2021.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122152110/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-wednesday-cable-originals-network-finals-1-20-2021.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |title=UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.20.2021 |website=Showbuzz Daily |access-date=February 16, 2021|date=January 22, 2021}}

Network	Viewers {{smaller\|(million)}}
class="wikitable"
style="background:#e5d1cb;" \| CNN	6.224
style="background:#e5d1cb;" \| MSNBC	4.518
style="background:#dfe2e9;" \| NBC	3.996
style="background:#dfe2e9;" \| ABC	3.789
style="background:#dfe2e9;" \| CBS	3.101
style="background:#e5d1cb;" \| BET	0.182

{{Color box|#dfe2e9|border=darkgray}} Broadcast network

{{Color box|#e5d1cb|border=darkgray}} Cable network

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominee(s) ! Result ! {{Abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
rowspan="2"\| {{center\|2021}} \| Primetime Emmy Awards \| Outstanding Variety Special (Live) \| Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, Stephanie Cutter, Rod O'Connor, Rob Paine, Lisa Geers, Sarah Levine Hall and Tom Hanks \| {{nominated}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\|
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards \| Outstanding Music Direction \| Rickey Minor \| {{nominated}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Nominee(s)

! Result

! {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

rowspan="2"| {{center|2021}}

| Primetime Emmy Awards

| Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

| Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, Stephanie Cutter, Rod O'Connor, Rob Paine, Lisa Geers, Sarah Levine Hall and Tom Hanks

| {{nominated}}