Kennedy Center Honors:

A starry bonanza is expected tonight at the 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors when proud recipients will be conferred this heady honor for their lifetime’s contribution to the enhancement of American culture.

Some of the tallest icons from a myriad range of vocations have been among the previous recipients of this much treasured and coveted annual honor and such heady names as ace musician Zubin Mehta, composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber, singer Dolly Parton, song writer Smokey Robinson and a host of other stalwarts have been among the proud honorees.

Just to lay out a brief genesis of this annual awards gala, The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for…..and honoring….the Honorees at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

The Honors were created by George Stevens Jr. and the late Nick Vanoff and as of 2009, Stevens remains involved as producer and co-writer for the Honors Gala. From 1978 until 2002, the ceremony was hosted by Walter Cronkite.

However, since 2003, the awards gala has been hosted by Caroline Kennedy.

As per an announcement made by the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the list of honorees for this year would feature the likes of writer, composer, actor, director, and producer Mel Brooks; pianist and composer Dave Brubeck; opera singer Grace Bumbry; actor, director, and producer Robert De Niro; and singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen.

Among a ghost of other honors conferred for excellence in performing arts, the Kennedy Center Honors stand out for the sheer weight of its legacy.