The 43rd annual recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors have been announced. Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, artist, choreographer and actress Debbie Allen, and violinist Midori are the honorees for 2020. Last year’s ceremony, which was typically held in December, was postponed to May 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the outstanding artists who have spent their entire lives elevating the cultural history of our country and our world,” said David M. Rubenstein, president of the Kennedy Center, in a statement. press release. “Folk icon Joan Baez revived the genre and spurred the shift from rock music to social and political consciousness,” he added of the singer, songwriter and Rock Hall alum.
The Kennedy Center hosts small, in-person events throughout campus, each with a physically distant audience. The events include performances and speaking tributes for the Honorees. A series of virtual events will also begin on May 17, while a medallion ceremony for the Honorees and a limited audience will be hosted by the Kennedy Center during the week of May 17-22.
Read about Joan Baez in “A Rock Hall Voter Breaks Down The Most Epic Nominating Class In Decades” on the pitch.