For those who do not know, The Kennedy Center Honors are annual prestigious honors given to stellar performing artists in the United States for their lifetime contributions to American culture.
Since 1978, the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center has been presenting artists with the prestigious award. Primarily these honors are given to individual artists, but it has already been given once to a Broadway musical and a television show. (via Billboard)
The show will be held on Dec. 3, 2023, at the Kennedy Center Opera House stage in Washington, D.C. This year, The Kennedy Center Honors has finally announced who will be receiving the honors.
2023 Kennedy Center Honorees
Billy Crystal
Standup comedian Billy Crystal will be adding the Kennedy Center Honor to his long list of awards. Throughout his stint in film, television, and comedy, he has already received six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and three Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.
In 2007, he was given the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the highest award given to a comedian in the United States.
Barry Gibb
British musician Barry Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees will be awarded with the Kennedy Center Honors. Aside from being a member of one of the most famous music groups in the world, Gibb has been inducted at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. He was already bestowed with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire and the Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia, among many other prestigious honors.
Renee Fleming
The beloved soprano will also be receiving her well-deserved Kennedy Center Honor this year. Her contribution to opera, film, and music is unmatched. Earning 18 Grammy Award nominations and winning five, Fleming's recognition in the world of music and the Classical genre spans decades and generations.
The Julliard graduate has been awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur from the French government, Sweden's Polar Music Prize, Germany's Cross of the Order of Merit, and honorary membership in England's Royal Academy of Music.
Queen Latifah
Known as one of the pioneers of 90s female rap, Queen Latifah is a rightful recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor. She does not only excel in music, she has also credits in film and television, among many others.
She has broken many glass ceilings for women, women of color, and women in a male-dominated industry. Latifah has a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, three SAG Awards, and an Academy Award nomination. Notably, Queen Latifah is the first hip-hop artist to receive her very own Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
Dionne Warwick
It is not even up for debate what Dionne Warwick has contributed to the genres of soul, R&B, and gospel. The music icon has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and is the recipient of six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the R&B Music Hall of Fame and the Apollo Theater Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has been considered by many publications as part of the "Greatest Artists of all time."
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