Crystal said in a statement he was “overwhelmed” to be selected.
December 3, 2023, 5:31 p.m. ET
• 4 min reading
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend the Kennedy Center Honors gala on Sunday evening as a new group of artists and artists accept the famous annual award.
The 2023 honorees include comedian and actor Billy Crystal, opera singer Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, rapper and actress Queen Latifah and singer Dionne Warwick.
“This year’s list represents an extraordinary mix of individuals who have redefined their art forms and demonstrated remarkable tenacity and authenticity in becoming an original,” Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter said in a statement.
Crystal said in his own statement that he was “overwhelmed” to be chosen – a sentiment also shared by Latifah, who said her selection was important to more than just her.
“It’s incredible to now be recognized among so many multi-hyphenates, not just for me and my team, but for our community,” she said.
Pictured (left to right, top row): Queen Latifah and Barry Gibb. Pictured (left to right, bottom row) Renee Fleming, Billy Crystal and Dionne Warwick were recognized for their achievements in the performing arts during the 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images
The president and first lady hosted a reception for Crystal, Fleming, Gibb, Latifah and Warwick at the White House earlier Sunday. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gen. Doug Emhoff were in attendance, and Emhoff will also attend the evening gala with the Bidens.
“Performing arts are as simple as they are profound, they are more than just sound and scene – they reflect who we are as Americans and as people,” Joe Biden said at the reception. “This is especially true of the Kennedy Center’s more than 200 honorees over the past 46 years, who have contributed to how we see ourselves, how we see each other and how we see our world.”
One by one, the president gave brief glimpses of Crystal, Fleming, Gibb, Latifah and Warwick. He again referenced the recent death of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, calling her “a champion of the performing arts.”
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive at a reception for the 46th Kennedy Center Honors Gala in the East Room of the White House on December 3, 2023 in Washington, DC. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images2023 Kennedy Center Honoree Rapper, singer and actress Queen Latifah looks at herself in the mirror after the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner at the State Department on December 2, 2023 in Washington. Kevin Wolf/AP
Sunday evening’s gala ceremony in Washington will be hosted by Gloria Estefan, the 2017 honoree.
Last year’s class included George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, Tania León and U2.
The Kennedy Center Honors gala is usually attended by the president, although Donald and Melania Trump opted not to attend the White House. The event was also disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
This evening’s show will be recorded and broadcast later in December on CBS.