MTV's Video Music Awards air on Sunday night, and the tragic incident in Virginia could be addressed on stage at the event.
Access Hollywood asked the show's producers if, on the heels of Wednesday's tragedy, there were plans to pay tribute to the slain journalists of WDBJ, or bring up the incident at Sunday's event.
"We've talked to the artists generally and the Video Music Awards has a history of dealing with issues as they happen, about what's going on in the culture at large, not just what happened to the reporters yesterday, but just this recent history of gun violence, and it's really up to them whether they want to address it or not. But we've talked to a few about it," VMAs Executive Producer Van Toffler told Access Hollywood on Thursday as final preparations for the show were underway.
PHOTOS: VMAs 2014: Inside The Show!
"We don't tell the artists what to say, they speak their mind, but it's so prevalent in the culture right now, I wouldn't be surprised," he added.
While the VMAs are often known for their signature wild and outrageous surprises, they've also had their fair share of poignant moments.
PHOTOS: 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
In 2014 at the VMAs, Common led a moment of silence for Michael Brown, a teenager who was unarmed when he was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson earlier that month. The show also aired a brief PSA where voices shouted, "Hands Up! Don't Shoot!" as a sign for the city of Ferguson flashed on the screen, later covered up by a quote from writer James Baldwin -- "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced."
Several months after Michael Jackson's June 2009 death, MTV aired a lengthy tribute to the late pop superstar, which featured a special appearance by the performer's sister, Janet Jackson.
Aaliyah was honored by friends and colleagues at the 2001 awards following her untimely death in a plane crash.
The "VMAs" air Sunday night at 9/8c on MTV.
-- Access Hollywood Staff
Copyright 2015 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
