Kennedy Center Honors To Recognize George Clooney, Gladys Knight & U2

George Clooney, Gladys Knight, and U2 are among those who will receive Kennedy Center Honors at the 44th annual ceremony, expected to be held on the first weekend of December.

Grammy Award-winning singer Amy Grant and Cuban-born American composer Tania León will also be honored at the event, which will be executive produced by Dune+Dusted and air on CBS. In previous years, the honorees have been invited to a reception at the White House ahead of the ceremony, as well as an event the night before hosted by the secretary of state.

“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 president of the Kennedy Center (via Deadline).

She added: “This level of distinction is important. 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.”

The Kennedy Center chairman, David Rubenstein, noted Clooney’s humanitarian work and his “unique brand of earnest charisma and his complete embodiment of a character has led us to root for him every time.” He also talked of how Grant became the first person to bring Christian music to the forefront of American culture.

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Rubenstein also praised Knight for her “boundless vocal range and soulfulness that has stood the test of time” and León for her “five decades” of “astoundingly original compositions.” Speaking of U2, he said that the Bono fronted band “won over America and the world long ago with their iconic anthems, potent lyrics and powerful messages of social justice and global citizenship — earning a musical legacy that crosses generations, inspires and unites.”

Kennedy Center Honors, TBA, CBS