History of Kennedy Center Honors in Timeline

The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards recognizing individuals and groups for their significant contributions to American performing arts and culture. Established in 1978, the Honors are presented each December at a gala in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the lifetime achievements of five Honorees. While primarily given to individuals, duos, musical groups, and even a Broadway musical, television show and performing arts venue have been recognized. These honors represent the highest recognition for artistic excellence and cultural impact in the United States.

1977: Idea for Kennedy Center Honors Begins

In 1977, the idea for the Kennedy Center Honors began after that year's 10th-anniversary White House reception and Kennedy Center program for the American Film Institute (AFI).

1978: First Gala Produced

In 1978, George Stevens Jr. created the Kennedy Center Honors with Nick Vanoff and produced the first gala.

1978: Leonard Bernstein Hosts

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

1978: Annual Honors Begin

In 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors were first presented annually to individuals in the performing arts for their lifetime contributions to American culture. The event culminates each December with a gala in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.

1979: Eric Sevareid Hosts

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

1979: Carter Misses Gala

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors gala 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 Hosts

From 1981 to 2002, Walter Cronkite hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

1985: Awards to Duos or Groups

Since 1985, on 13 occasions, Kennedy Center Honors awards have been presented to duos or groups, including three married couples who were actors.

1987: Special Tribute to Berlin

In 1987, the Kennedy Center chose to pay special tribute to Irving Berlin at the Gala, after learning that Berlin only wanted to be honored if he surpassed his 100th birthday and because he was in failing health. Berlin died in 1989.

May 1988: Berlin's 100th Birthday

May 1988 marks what would have been Irving Berlin's 100th birthday.

1989: Death of Irving Berlin

In 1989, Irving Berlin passed away after the Kennedy Center opted to pay special tribute to him in 1987 instead of waiting for him to surpass his 100th birthday in May 1988.

1989: George H.W. Bush Misses Gala

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

1990: Katharine Hepburn Accepts Honor

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

1994: Bill Clinton Misses Gala

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

1998: Award Given to Bill Cosby

In 1998, stand-up comedian and actor Bill Cosby was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors. However, this award was later rescinded in 2018 following Cosby's sexual assault conviction.

2002: Walter Cronkite Ends Hosting Tenure

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

2002: McCartney Unable to Attend

In 2002, Paul McCartney was selected as a Kennedy Center Honoree, but was unable to attend due to his cousin's previously planned wedding.

2003: McCartney Not Honored

After initially stating that Paul McCartney's Kennedy Center Honor would be postponed, the center did not give the award to McCartney in 2003.

2003: Caroline Kennedy Hosts

In 2003, Caroline Kennedy began hosting the Kennedy Center Honors.

2009: Mel Brooks Honored

Mel Brooks was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, the first year Barack Obama was president, after refusing the honor when George W. Bush was in office.

2010: McCartney Honored

Paul McCartney became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2010, after not being honored in 2002 and 2003.

2012: Caroline Kennedy Ends Hosting Tenure

In 2012, Caroline Kennedy concluded her tenure as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, having hosted since 2003.

2013: Glenn Close Hosts

In 2013, Glenn Close hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

2014: George Stevens Jr. Sells Production Rights

After producing and co-writing the Kennedy Center Honors through the 2014 awards, George Stevens Jr. sold the production rights to the Kennedy Center.

2014: Stephen Colbert Hosts

From 2014 to 2016, Stephen Colbert hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.

November 2015: Eagles Postpone Honors

In November 2015, the Eagles postponed their Kennedy Center Honors acceptance until the following year because Glenn Frey had health problems that required major surgery and a long recovery period. Miranda Lambert performed "Desperado" in their honor.

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2015: Obama Attends Gala

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

2015: Executive Producers Named

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

January 18, 2016: Glenn Frey's Death

Glenn Frey died on January 18, 2016. The center later made him and the three surviving Eagles members 2016 Honorees, after the Eagles postponed their acceptance in November 2015 due to Frey's health problems.

2016: Stephen Colbert Ends Hosting Tenure

In 2016 Stephen Colbert concluded his tenure as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, having hosted since 2014.

2016: Last Attending President

The 2021 Kennedy Center Honors was the first time since 2016 that a sitting president and first lady attended the event.

December 3, 2017: Ceremony Held Without President and First Lady

On December 3, 2017, the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was held without President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who decided not to participate to "allow the Honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."

2017: Lear Boycotts White House Ceremony

In 2017, Norman Lear accepted the Kennedy Center Honor but boycotted the White House ceremony due to his opposition to President Donald Trump. However, Lear did attend the other events and ceremony, while the Trumps were not present.

2017: No Formal Host

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

2017: President Did Not Attend

Prior to 2017, there had been three occasions in which the president did not attend the gala performance.

2018: Special Award to 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: Trump Skips Edition

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 Award Rescinded

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

2019: Trump Skips Edition

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: Television Program Honored

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

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2019: Honors Aired on Television

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

2020: Edition Changes

Because of changes imposed on the delayed and abbreviated 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed that year's Honorees to the White House in May 2021 but did not attend any other events.

May 2021: Biden Welcomes Honorees

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

May 22, 2021: 2020 Edition Postponed

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

June 6, 2021: Edited Broadcast Aired

The edited broadcast of the postponed 2020 Kennedy Center Honors aired on June 6, 2021.

December 5, 2021: Biden Attends Gala

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: David Letterman and Gloria Estefan Host

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

2022: No Formal Host

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