Queen Latifah receives Kennedy Center honors
The 2023 Kennedy Center honorees have been announced.
The show takes place December 3 at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, DC, and will air on CBS later that month.
The award winners include comedian and broadcaster Billy Crystal, soprano Renée Fleming, singer-songwriter-producer Barry Gibb, rapper, singer and actress Queen Latifah and singer Dionne Warwick. Latifah is the first female rapper to be honored at the prestigious ceremony.
The event also includes a hip-hop tribute to mark the 50th anniversary.
“This year we pay special tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a uniquely American culture whose constant evolution is one of lasting relevance and impact, reflecting our society as it has grown into an international phenomenon,” Deborah Kennedy Center president F. Rutter said in a statement. “Hip-hop has been an important, thriving art form here in the Center for a number of years now; what a privilege it is to be able to present an award to the First Lady of Hip-Hop [Queen Latifah] who inspired us along the way.”
Gloria Estefan, 2017 Kennedy Center winner, will host this year’s show.
