Every year, the Kennedy Center selects five honorees to celebrate for their contributions to the performing artists. The 46th class of honorees includes comedian and actor Billy Crystal, opera singer Renée Fleming, the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb, rapper and actress Queen Latifah and singer Dionne Warwick.
The Kennedy Center Honors were launched in 1978 to celebrate the importance of the arts to American society. 46 years later, they are one of the rare places where the celebrity worlds of entertainment and politics intersect.
The honorees visit Washington D.C. every winter for a weekend full of celebration, including a visit to the White House, that culminates with a star-studded event paying tribute to their work. They watch in the audience as their collaborators and friends perform.
The acknowledgment of Queen Latifah’s contributions to the performing arts is especially significant. She is the first female rapper to be honored.
We talk about the history and significance of the Kennedy Center Honors as well as this year’s class of honorees.
The Kennedy Center Honors will stream Wednesday, December 27 (8:00-10:30 p.m. EST/PST) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on the CBS app and Paramount+
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