CBS and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced 2023 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, critically acclaimed Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning and Academy Award®-nominated actor and producer Queen Latifah (series star/executive producer of THE EQUALIZER) will host THE 47th ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, to be broadcast Sunday, Dec. 22 (8:30-11:00 PM, ET, 8:00-10:30 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs)*.
Queen Latifah will host the special for the first time.
Throughout its 46-year history, the annual Honors Gala has become the highlight of the Washington cultural and society calendar. On Sunday, Dec. 8, in a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the 47th class of Kennedy Center Honorees will be saluted by today’s leading performers from New York, Hollywood and the arts capitals of the world. Seated in the Box Tier of the iconic Kennedy Center Opera House, the Honorees will accept the recognition and gratitude of their peers through performances and tributes.
As previously announced, the recipients of the 47th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievement are acclaimed director and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola; the legendary American rock band the Grateful Dead (Mickey Hart, Billy Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir); blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt; jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval; and The Apollo, which will receive a special Honors as a historic American institution. The 47th Kennedy Center Honors Gala concludes with a post-performance party in the Grand Foyer.
The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts. Whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures or television, each Kennedy Center Honoree has a unique place in the national consciousness and their influence has inspired audiences from all walks of life.
Each year, Honorees are confirmed by the executive committee of the Center’s board of trustees. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; over the years, the selection process has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.
THE 47TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS will be produced by Done+Dusted for a third year, in association with ROK Productions. The event will be executive produced by David Jammy, Elizabeth Kelly and Jack Sussman. The show will be directed by Alex Rudzinski
