The Kennedy Center Honors are coming back, and the star-studded recipients were announced Wednesday.
The 43rd annual ceremony will honor actor Dick Van Dyke, country star Garth Brooks, singer-songwriter Joan Baez, dancer and actress Debbie Allen, and acclaimed violinist Midori.
“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the remarkable artists who have spent their lives elevating the cultural history of our nation and world,” Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement Wednesday.
What makes each artist so deserving?
“Allen moves seamlessly between artistic disciplines … [Baez] powered rock music’s turn toward social and political consciousness … Brooks heightened country music’s profile like no other singer … violinist Midori combines graceful precision and expression, [and] Van Dyke has brought us beloved film, stage, and TV characters adored by generations.”
Kennedy Center to Honor Dick Van Dyke and Others at Scaled-Down Events
Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Garth Brooks and Midori will also be celebrated with a combination of virtual and small live performances, slated for May.
Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Van Dyke is among the Kennedy Center honorees.Credit.CBS, via Photofest
Published Jan. 13, 2021Updated Jan. 20, 2021
After Dick Van Dyke got the call informing him that he had been selected as a Kennedy Center honoree, he did exactly what he was told not to do: He called his family to tell them the good news.