Biden hosts Billy Crystal, Barry Gibb, and Queen Latifah among Kennedy Center honorees

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the 2023 Kennedy Center honorees to the White House Sunday.

Among the five total recipients is actress Queen Latifah, 53, who is also the first female rapper to receive the award, Emmy-winning actor Billy Crystal, 75, opera singer Renee Fleming, 64, musician Barry Gibb, 77, of the Bee Gees, and songwriter Dionne Warwick, 82. The gathering was the first since the hiatus in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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“Now, when it comes to bridging cultures, there are few better ambassadors than the five artists that we celebrate this weekend. Each of our honorees created space for people across the globe to feel seen, to feel joy, to feel heartache and longing — quite simply, to feel alive,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken introduced the honorees at a ceremony on Saturday. “The artists that we honor have let their genius speak powerfully at home and all around the world. And in doing that, they have lifted us up. They have made our lives more meaningful and brought us closer together. What a remarkable gift. What an extraordinary legacy. For that and so much more, we are honored to honor you.”

During Sunday’s ceremony, the White House was decorated for the Christmas holiday, complete with a tree and an advent calendar behind the podium where Biden spoke. The president invoked the name of the late Rosalynn Carter, who was the first lady at the time the Kennedy Center began awarding honorees.

“It’s simple as it is profound the performing arts are more than just sound and scene they reflect who we are as Americans and as human beings,” Biden said. “That’s especially true for more than 200 Kennedy Center honorees over the past 46 years who have helped shape how we see ourselves how we see each other and how we see our world honors not just based on the length of the career, the scope of the work, and the height of the fame but because of their unique place in the conscience and the very soul of our dynamic and diverse nation.”

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

“The Honors have been compared to a knighthood in Britain, or the French Legion of Honor — the quintessential reward for a lifetime’s endeavor,” the Kennedy Center’s website reads. “The annual Honors gala is an evening without categories, without disappointments, without competition.”

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Last year’s honorees included actor George Clooney, singers Amy Grant and Gladys Knight, composer Tania Leon, and the band U2.

This year’s ceremony, the 46th in its history after a hiatus in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is slated for Dec 3. Guest performances have a tradition of remaining secret until the show is in progress.