The Kennedy Center announced on Thursday, July 21 it is planning to honor Amy Grant, George Clooney, Gladys Knight, Tania León, and U2 at its 45th annual celebration.
The Kennedy Center Honors aims at celebrating artists who are known for their contributions to American culture through performing arts such as dance, movies, music, opera, television, or theater.
“For nearly a half-century, the Kennedy Center Honors has represented the very best of America’s creative culture. The Honors is often referred to by past recipients as the pinnacle of awards because it recognizes not just one performance, album, or film, but esteems an artist’s cumulative body of work and influence over many decades,” said Deborah Rutter, the center’s president, said in a statement.
“Through this holistic viewpoint, each year’s Honorees add another layer to the complex and inspiring collage of artists that together tell the story of our collective contribution to global culture,” she continued, adding that the celebration serves the vision of John F. Kennedy, the 35th US President after which the center is named, “an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft.”
Announcing your 45th Kennedy Center Honorees! 🤩🌈✨
⭐ #GeorgeClooney ⭐
⭐ @AmyGrant ⭐
⭐ @MsGladysKnight ⭐
⭐ #TaniaLeón ⭐
⭐ @U2 ⭐Celebrate these incredible artists this Dec. with a #KCHonors broadcast to follow on @CBS ▶ https://t.co/omAfV68lkU#KennedyCenterHonors pic.twitter.com/T3Fp1Cp1qS
— The Kennedy Center (@kencen) July 21, 2022
“Growing up in a small town in Kentucky I could never have imagined that someday I’d be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors,” Clooney said. “To be mentioned in the same breath with the rest of these incredible artists is an honor. This is a genuinely exciting surprise for the whole Clooney family.”
The Honors recipients are selected by the Executive Committee of the Center’s Board of Trustees, based on recommendations from former Honorees and the artistic community, as well as the general public.
The Honors Gala will take place on Sunday, December 4, 2022, and will be recorded by CBS for broadcast at a later date.