WASHINGTON, DC (CelebrityAccess) – Singers Gladys Knight and Amy Grant, Irish rock band U2, composer Tania Leon and actor/director George Clooney are set to be honored at the 45rh Annual Kennedy Center Honors at the National Arts Center in Washington, DC on December 4.
The 2022 honorees represent the best of the entertainment world, who have used their talents to inspire change, said Deborah Rutter, president of The Kennedy Center in a statement. “In each case, these are artists who are doing more than being performers,” added Rutter. “They are artists as citizens who are giving back and making the world a better place through art. It’s about art for life’s sake. These artists are a mirror to who we are.”
Knight, 78, said she is humbled by her forthcoming honor. “You could never have told me as a young girl starting my career that I would be honored on a stage such as this, with artists and humanitarians such as these. It just wouldn’t have seemed possible,” said Knight in a statement. “It would have been the dream of all dreams. I have been blessed with so much in my life and this certainly stands with those achievements at the top of that list.”
Grant, married to country legend, Vince Gill said in a statement, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine ever receiving this prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. “Through the years, I’ve watched so many of my heroes serenaded by colleagues and fellow artists, always moved by the ability of music and film to bring us together and to see the best in each other.”
Of their honor, U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.) added:
“In December 1980, we made our first trip across the Atlantic to America. Our first show was at The Ritz in New York City, the second, The Bayou in D.C. We had big dreams then, fueled in part by the commonly held belief at home that America smiles on Ireland. And it turned out to be true, yet again. But even in the wilder thoughts, we never imagined that 40 years on, we would be invited back to receive one of the nation’s greatest honors. We consider America to be a home away from home and we are very grateful to the Kennedy Center Honors for welcoming us into this great clan of extraordinary artists.”
The selection process for honorees includes recommendations from former honorees, the artistic community, the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, and the general public. This year, honorees were chosen based on the recommendation of the Kennedy Center Special Honors Advisory Committee, chaired by David Bohnett, along with past recipients and artists, including Julie Andrews, Gloria Estefan, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie, and others.
The Honors Gala will be recorded and broadcast on CBS at a later date as a two-hour primetime special.
