The president usually greets the Kennedy Center honorees at the White House before the official ceremony at the Kennedy Center.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said Sunday’s events gave him an opportunity to build on the “We the People” themes of the week’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. and the State Dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
This year’s class of winners, the 45th edition, was made up of actor-filmmaker George Clooney, singers Amy Grant (known for contemporary Christian music) and Gladys Knight (known for R&B music) and composer Tania León, as well as four members of the Irish rock band U2.
“Thank you for showing us the power of the arts and ‘We the People,'” Biden said.
Among other things, Biden praised Clooney for his activism and charity work — after jokingly calling him “Amal Clooney’s husband” — and hailed the other four winners for their contributions to world music, citing the lyrics to “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “One” by U2.
“As the song goes, ‘We are one, but we are not the same, we come to carry each other,'” Biden said, quoting U2.
U2 were only the fifth band to be so honoured, joining The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and Earth, Wind & Fire. Amid the formal attire of the winners, The Edge – the band’s guitarist born David Howell Evans – stood out wearing his usual knit beanie.
Among those also seen in attendance for some or all of the day’s festivities were Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Anthony Fauci, the soon-to-retire director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Diseases.
One of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the entertainment industry, the Kennedy Center Honors began in 1978 with an initial class consisting of opera-spiritual singer Marian Anderson, actor-dancer Fred Astaire, choreographer George Balanchine, composer Richard Rodgers and pianist Arthur Rubinstein. The first class of Biden’s presidency consisted of opera singer Justino Díaz, music entrepreneur Berry Gordy, television producer Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette Midler and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
An edited version of the evening portion of the Kennedy Center Honors is scheduled to air in late December on CBS and the Paramount+ streaming service.
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Paul Pelosi among those in attendance for the Kennedy Center Honors