History of Kennedy Center Honors in Timeline
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards recognizing lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Established in 1978, the Honors are presented each December at a gala held in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. Typically, five individuals are honored each year, although the award has occasionally been bestowed upon duos, musical groups, a Broadway musical, a television show, and a performing arts venue.
1977: Kennedy Center Honors Idea Formation
In 1977, the idea for the Kennedy Center Honors emerged following 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, which led to the creation of the Kennedy Center Honors.
1978: First Kennedy Center Honors Gala
In 1978, George Stevens Jr. created and produced the first Kennedy Center Honors gala with Nick Vanoff.
1978: Leonard Bernstein Hosts First Honors
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 established to recognize individuals in the performing arts for their contributions to American culture. The first gala was held in December 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 event.
1979: President Carter Absence
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors due to the Iran hostage crisis; First Lady Rosalynn Carter attended in his place.
1980: Beverly Sills Hosts
In 1980, Beverly Sills hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
1981: Walter Cronkite Begins Hosting
In 1981, Walter Cronkite began his long tenure as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, a role he continued until 2002.
1985: Awards to Duos or Groups
Since 1985, on 13 occasions, the Kennedy Center Honors awards have been presented to duos or groups.
1987: 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.
May 1988: Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday
May 1988 was the deadline that Irving Berlin set for being honored. However, he was in failing health and could not attend a public event.
1989: President George H.W. Bush Absence
In 1989, President George H. W. Bush did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors due to a trip to Brussels; First Lady Barbara Bush attended in his place.
1990: Katharine Hepburn Relents
In 1990, Katharine Hepburn accepted the Kennedy Center Honors committee's offer after initially declining.
1994: President Bill Clinton Absence
In 1994, President Bill Clinton did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors due to a trip to Budapest; First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton attended in his place.
1998: Award to Bill Cosby
In 1998, Bill Cosby was given 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 Final Hosting Year
In 2002, Walter Cronkite hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for the last time, concluding his hosting role that began in 1981.
2003: Caroline Kennedy Takes Over Hosting
In 2003, Caroline Kennedy began her tenure as the host of the Kennedy Center Honors, continuing until 2012.
2003: McCartney Not Awarded
In 2003, after initially saying McCartney's award would be postponed, the Kennedy Center did not award McCartney.
2009: Mel Brooks Honored
In 2009, Mel Brooks was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors, the first year Barack Obama was president, after refusing the honor when George W. Bush was in office.
2010: McCartney Honored
In 2010, Paul McCartney became a Kennedy Center Honoree.
2012: Caroline Kennedy's Last Hosting Year
In 2012, Caroline Kennedy concluded her time as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, having started in 2003.
2013: Glenn Close Hosts
In 2013, Glenn Close hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2014: George Stevens Jr. Sells Production Rights
In 2014, George Stevens Jr. sold the production rights to the Kennedy Center Honors to the Kennedy Center, after having produced and co-written the awards through this year.
2014: Stephen Colbert Begins Hosting
In 2014, Stephen Colbert began hosting the Kennedy Center Honors, a role he continued through 2016.
November 2015: Eagles Postpone Acceptance
In November 2015, the Eagles postponed their Kennedy Center Honors acceptance due to Glenn Frey's health problems.
2015: President Obama Attends Gala
In 2015, President Barack Obama attended the Kennedy Center Honors gala with First Lady Michelle Obama after addressing the nation in a live telecast.
2015: Kirshner and Weiss Executive Producers
In 2015, Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment became the Executive Producers of the Kennedy Center Honors.
January 18, 2016: Death of Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey died on January 18, 2016.
2016: Stephen Colbert's Last Hosting Year
In 2016, Stephen Colbert concluded his time as host of the Kennedy Center Honors, having started in 2014.
2016: Last Attended Event by President
The Kennedy Center Honors 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 President
On December 3, 2017, the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was held without President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Caroline Kennedy hosted the event and presented the Honorees.
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.
2017: President Trump and First Lady Skip Event
In 2017, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors to avoid political distraction.
2017: No Formal Host
In 2017, there was no formal host for the Kennedy Center Honors, although Caroline Kennedy delivered an introduction.
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.
2018: Cosby's Award Rescinded
In 2018, Bill Cosby's 1998 Kennedy Center Honors award was rescinded following his sexual assault conviction.
2018: Trump's Absence in 2018
In 2018, Donald and Melania Trump did not participate in any of the Kennedy Center Honors events.
2018: Gloria Estefan Hosts
In 2018, Gloria Estefan hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2019: Trump's Absence in 2019
In 2019, Donald and Melania Trump did not participate in any of the Kennedy Center Honors events.
2019: LL Cool J Hosts
In 2019, LL Cool J hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2019: Television Program Honored
In 2019, the Kennedy Center Honors included a television program for the first time, with Sesame Street's co-founders accepting the award.
2020: Edition Postponed
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was postponed.
May 2021: President Biden Welcomes Honorees
In May 2021, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the 2020 Kennedy Center Honorees to the White House due to changes imposed on the delayed 2020 edition.
May 22, 2021: Conclusion of 2020 Edition
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was postponed and eventually held between May 17 and May 22, 2021.
June 6, 2021: Broadcast of the Edited 2020 Edition
On June 6, 2021, the edited broadcast of the postponed 2020 Kennedy Center Honors aired.
December 5, 2021: Biden's Attendence
On December 5, 2021, Joe and Jill Biden attended the gala performance of the Kennedy Center Honors, marking the first time since 2016 that a sitting president and first lady had attended.
2021: Gloria Estefan and David Letterman Host
In 2021, Gloria Estefan and David Letterman hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2022: No Formal Host, New Executive Producers Hired
In 2022, the Kennedy Center Honors had no formal host, but several former honorees delivered introductions. David Jammy and Elizabeth Kelly were hired as Executive Producers.
2023: Gloria Estefan Hosts
In 2023, Gloria Estefan hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2024: 255 People Awarded
As of 2024, 255 people have been awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, not counting special awards.
2024: Queen Latifah Hosts
In 2024, Queen Latifah hosted the Kennedy Center Honors.
2024: Award to Apollo Theater
In 2024, a special award was given to the Apollo Theater in New York City, marking the first time an institution was awarded at the Kennedy Center Honors.
2024: Show Adds Half Hour
In 2024, the Kennedy Center Honors presentation added a half hour to the show's length, making it two and a half hours long.
