History of Kennedy Center Honors in Timeline

The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards presented since 1978, recognizing individuals in the performing arts for their lifetime contributions to American culture. A gala is held each December at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., celebrating five honorees. While typically awarded to individuals, the honors have also been given to duos, musical groups, a Broadway musical, a TV show, and a performing arts venue.

1977: Kennedy Center Honors Conception

In 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors was conceived after the 10th-anniversary White House reception and Kennedy Center program for the American Film Institute (AFI). Roger L. Stevens asked George Stevens Jr. to hold an event for the center, and CBS bought the idea.

1978: Leonard Bernstein: First Host

In 1978, Leonard Bernstein was the first host of the Kennedy Center Honors.

1978: Kennedy Center Honors Inauguration

In 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors were inaugurated, marking the first year of the annual honors given to individuals in the performing arts for their lifetime contributions to American culture. The event culminates each December with a gala celebrating five Honorees at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.

1978: First Kennedy Center Honors Gala

In 1978, the first Kennedy Center Honors gala was produced by George Stevens Jr. and Nick Vanoff, marking the beginning of the annual tradition.

1979: Eric Sevareid Hosts

In 1979, Eric Sevareid hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, with Gene Kelly closing the show.

1979: Carter's Absence Due to Hostage Crisis

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors due to the Iran hostage crisis; First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as his surrogate.

1980: Beverly Sills Hosts

In 1980, Beverly Sills hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

1981: Walter Cronkite's Hosting Debut

In 1981, Walter Cronkite began his long tenure as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, which continued until 2002.

1985: Awards Presented to Duos/Groups

Since 1985, on 13 occasions, Kennedy Center Honors awards have been presented to duos or groups, including married couples and musical theater songwriting duos.

1987: Special Tribute to Irving Berlin

In 1987, the Kennedy Center chose to pay special tribute to Irving Berlin at the Gala due to his failing health and inability to attend a public event.

May 1988: Berlin's 100th Birthday

In May 1988, Irving Berlin would have surpassed his 100th birthday.

1989: Death of Irving Berlin

In 1989, Irving Berlin died.

1989: Bush's Absence Due to Brussels Trip

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors because he was on a trip to Brussels; First Lady Barbara Bush served as his surrogate.

1990: Katharine Hepburn Accepts Honor

In 1990, actress Katharine Hepburn relented and accepted the Kennedy Center Honors after declining the committee's first offer.

1994: Clinton's Absence Due to Budapest Trip

In 1994, President Bill Clinton did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors because he was on a trip to Budapest; First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton served as his surrogate.

1998: Bill Cosby Receives Honor

In 1998, stand-up comedian and actor Bill Cosby was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors.

2002: McCartney Unable to Attend

In 2002, Paul McCartney was selected as an Honoree, but was unable to attend due to his cousin's wedding.

2002: Walter Cronkite's Hosting Finale

In 2002, Walter Cronkite concluded his tenure as the host of the Kennedy Center Honors, after having hosted since 1981.

2003: Caroline Kennedy Takes Over Hosting

In 2003, Caroline Kennedy began hosting the Kennedy Center Honors, a role she continued in until 2012.

2003: McCartney Not Honored

In 2003, despite initial plans, the Kennedy Center did not give the award to Paul McCartney.

2009: Mel Brooks Honored

In 2009, Mel Brooks was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors, the first year of Barack Obama's presidency.

2010: McCartney Finally Honored

In 2010, Paul McCartney became a Kennedy Center Honoree.

2012: Caroline Kennedy's Last Year Hosting

In 2012, Caroline Kennedy hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for the last time, after having hosted since 2003.

2013: Glenn Close Hosts

In 2013, Glenn Close hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

2014: Stephen Colbert Takes Over Hosting

In 2014, Stephen Colbert began hosting the Kennedy Center Honors, a role he continued until 2016.

2014: Sale of Production Rights

In 2014, after being the producer and co-writer for the Kennedy Center Honors through the 2014 awards, George Stevens Jr. sold the production rights to the Kennedy Center.

November 2015: Eagles Postpone Acceptance

In November 2015, The Eagles postponed their Kennedy Center Honors acceptance due to Glenn Frey's health problems. They were still honored in 2015 via a performance of "Desperado" by Miranda Lambert.

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2015: Obama's Late Arrival

In 2015, President Barack Obama joined First Lady Michelle Obama late at the Kennedy Center Honors gala performance after addressing the nation in a live telecast from the White House.

2015: White Cherry Entertainment Takes Over

In 2015, Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment became the Executive Producers of the 38th annual Kennedy Center Honors after George Stevens Jr. stepped down.

January 18, 2016: Death of Glenn Frey

On January 18, 2016, Glenn Frey died. He and the three surviving members of The Eagles were made 2016 Honorees.

2016: Stephen Colbert's Last Year Hosting

In 2016, Stephen Colbert hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for the last time, after having hosted since 2014.

2016: Last Presidential Attendance Before Biden

The Kennedy Center Honors event on December 5, 2021, marked the first time since 2016 that a sitting president and first lady had attended the event.

December 3, 2017: 2017 Ceremony Held Without the Trumps

On December 3, 2017, the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was held without President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who decided not to participate. Caroline Kennedy hosted the event.

2017: Lear Boycotts White House

In 2017, Norman Lear accepted the Kennedy Center Honors but boycotted the White House ceremony due to his opposition to President Donald Trump. However, Donald and Melania Trump were not present, becoming the first U.S. presidential couple to skip the event.

2017: Caroline Kennedy Delivers Introduction

In 2017, there was no formal host for the Kennedy Center Honors, although Caroline Kennedy delivered an introduction.

2017: Presidential Attendance History

Prior to 2017, there were three occasions when the president did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors gala performance.

2018: Special Award for Hamilton Creators

At the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, a special award was presented to the creators of the musical Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire.

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2018: Trumps Not Present

In 2018, Donald and Melania Trump did not participate in any of the events of the Kennedy Center Honors.

2018: Gloria Estefan Hosts

In 2018, Gloria Estefan hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

2018: Cosby's Honor Rescinded

In 2018, the Kennedy Center Honors award given to Bill Cosby in 1998 was rescinded following Cosby's sexual assault conviction.

2019: Trumps Not Present

In 2019, Donald and Melania Trump did not participate in any of the events of the Kennedy Center Honors.

2019: LL Cool J Hosts

In 2019, LL Cool J hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

2019: Early December Air Date

In 2019, the Kennedy Center Honors aired on regular television in early December instead of between Christmas and New Year's, and was later made available on CBS All Access.

2019: First Television Program Honored

In 2019, the Kennedy Center Honors included a television program for the first time. The co-founders of Sesame Street, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, accepted the honor on behalf of all the creators.

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2020: Postponement Due to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Kennedy Center Honors edition was postponed and eventually held between May 17 and May 22, 2021.

2020: Changes Imposed on the Delayed Edition

In 2020, changes were imposed on the delayed and abbreviated Kennedy Center Honors edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 2021: Biden Welcomes Honorees

In May 2021, due to changes imposed on the delayed and abbreviated 2020 edition, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed that year's Honorees to the White House but did not attend any other events.

May 22, 2021: Conclusion of the Delayed 2020 Edition

May 22, 2021 marked the conclusion of the delayed and abbreviated 2020 edition of the Kennedy Center Honors, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 6, 2021: Edited Broadcast Airs

On June 6, 2021, the edited broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors, which had been postponed from 2020, aired.

December 5, 2021: Biden's Attendance

On December 5, 2021, Joe and Jill Biden attended the Kennedy Center Honors gala performance, marking the first time since 2016 that a sitting president and first lady had attended the event.

2021: Gloria Estefan and David Letterman Host

In 2021, Gloria Estefan hosted mid-year and David Letterman hosted late in the year for the Kennedy Center Honors.

2022: No Formal Host; Producers Hired

In 2022, there was no formal host for the Kennedy Center Honors, but several former honorees delivered an introduction. David Jammy of Done+Dusted and Elizabeth Kelly of ROK Productions were hired to serve as Executive Producers.