Gladys Knight will be among this year’s Kennedy Center honorees. (Credit: EEW Magazine)

By Music Editors // Awards // EEW Magazine Online

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the selection of five Honorees who will receive the 45th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.

Among the recipients to be honored at the annual national celebration of the arts in Washington, D.C., is Gospel, R&B, and pop icon Gladys Knight.

“I’m humbled beyond words to be included amongst this prestigious group of individuals, both past and present,” said Knight, 78. “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.”

The artists and humanitarians of which she speaks are acclaimed actor and filmmaker George Clooney; contemporary Christian and pop singer-songwriter Amy Grant; the legendary singer of soul, Cuban-born American composer, conductor, and educator Tania León; and iconic Irish rock band U2, comprised of band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.

“I have been blessed with so much in my life, and this certainly stands with those achievements at the top of that list,” said Knight. “To be honored as a Kennedy Center Honoree is among the highlights of my career,” the “Midnight Train To Georgia” songstress added.

Kennedy Center Chairman, David M. Rubenstein, said, “In her 55-year music career, legendary singer and America’s beloved ‘Empress of Soul,’ Gladys Knight, went from the Pips of Georgia to Grammy royalty, showcasing a boundless vocal range and soulfulness that has stood the test of time.”

Throughout its 44-year history, the annual Honors Gala has also stood the test of time, becoming the highlight of the Washington cultural and society calendar.

On Sunday, December 4, in a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the 45th class of Kennedy Center Honorees will be saluted by today’s leading performers from New York, Hollywood, and the arts capitals of the world.

Seated in the Box Tier of the iconic Kennedy Center Opera House, the Honorees will accept the recognition and gratitude of their peers through performances and tributes. The 45th Kennedy Center Honors Gala concludes with a dinner in the Grand Foyer.

“For nearly a half-century, the Kennedy Center Honors has represented the very best of America’s creative culture,” said Deborah F. Rutter, Kennedy Center President. “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.”

Knight said this “amazing distinction” is “dedicated to all those who paved the path for me to be able to accomplish the wonderful blessings I’ve been able to receive. The Kennedy Center’s commitment to the arts is unparalleled and I am so very grateful for this moment.”

The Honors Gala will be recorded – and broadcast later – on the CBS Television Network for the 45th consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special which will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The Honors recipients are recognized for their contributions to American culture through the performing arts—whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television—and are confirmed by the Executive Committee of the Center’s Board of Trustees.

The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement.