Last year, the D.C.-based Go-Go Awards electrified a live audience at Ballou High School Theater as go-go bands like Sugar Bear, Junkyard Band, and Rare Essence played hits, singers belted a hymn, and marching bands and majorettes dressed in full uniform.

Ronald Moten, the founder of The Go-Go Awards, says despite D.C.’s Phase 2 pandemic restrictions, he’s still planning to hold this year’s awards show—though this time it’ll be virtual. “Even through the pandemic, we can’t be muted,” says Moten about the official music of D.C. “I think go-go [music] is the heartbeat of the city, and with all of this going on, if you stopped the heartbeat, then the people stop moving forward.”

Unlike previous years, the 2020 Go-Go Awards show will be virtual, streaming on the award show’s official website on Sunday, November 22 at 7 p.m.

The two-and-a-half hour event will honor D.C.-area artists for their achievements and resilience. There are 25 award categories, including Grown N Sexy Band of the Year and Virtual Party of the Year, as some musical concerts and events have gone virtual. Awardees are selected by the public, which can cast a vote for their favorite pick. Acceptance speeches will mostly be pre-recorded, though some will be live.

The event will also include pre-recorded and live performances from six D.C.-area bands. Moten says he provided 60 temporary jobs to artists that have been out of work due to the pandemic, which was made possible through funding from D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities, Howard University, Events DC, Smithsonian Folklife Festival and others.

The entertainment show will also include a virtual retail market featuring 12 Black-owned businesses in the health, beauty, and clothing industries. Moten’s team curated a VIP box for purchase, which includes samples from some of the featured businesses and merchandise from Check It Enterprises, a go-go clothing store located in Anacostia, which Moten co-owns.

Some public officials are slated to speak during the event. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will speak about Go-Go Awareness Week, which last year she declared as November 17 to the 23. Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who authored the #DontMuteDC bill that made go-go the official music of D.C., will also speak at the event.

Go-go music is the District’s unique style of funk, one that has been at the center of controversies about gentrification in recent years. In April of last year, the Metro PCS store in Shaw was reportedly forced to turn off its iconic go-go music after a resident at a nearby luxury apartment building complained about noise. The incident stirred protests in support of the store and the music (Metro PCS eventually turned its tunes back on). At-large Councilmember Robert White, who tweeted support for the store at the time, will also be speaking at this year’s Go-Go Awards.

In August, the D.C. Council approved a $3 million “Go-Go Stimulus Plan” in support of preserving and advancing go-go music, history, and culture in the city.

The event is free this year, unlike previous years, and can be streamed on thegogoawards.com.