The 47th-annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony took place in Washington, D.C., recognizing four artists and an organization with its lifetime achievement award on Sunday. The event honored singer Bonnie Raitt, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, director Francis Ford Coppola, Harlem’s Apollo Theater, and the Grateful Dead.
President Biden attended the ceremony, where he received a standing ovation for his “service to the nation.” Queen Latifah, the night’s emcee, subtly referenced the current political climate throughout her performance.
Bonnie Raitt was lauded by several artists, including Jackson Browne and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who acknowledged her activism in social justice and environmental causes. Louis-Dreyfus called Raitt an “activist musician.”
Former President Donald Trump’s return to office has sparked speculation about its potential impact on the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. Without referencing Trump directly, Kennedy Center Chair David Rubenstein saluted Biden for his 50 years of service to the country.
Tributes were paid to the Grateful Dead during the ceremony, with drummer Mickey Hart stating that “music doesn’t know Republican or Democrat.” Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared in a video tribute and described discovering her own connection to the band’s fandom through an old button from 1988.
The Kennedy Center’s president, Deborah Rutter, stated that each new president brings a new perspective. She added that the center will extend an invitation to welcome Trump to the Kennedy Center once he is in office.
Source: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5029679-donald-trump-kennedy-center-honors-joe-biden