Francis Ford Coppola, Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt and More to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

The recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors have been revealed.

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Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola; legendary rock band the Grateful Dead (Mickey Hart, Billy Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir); Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt; jazz musician Arturo Sandoval; and the Apollo theater will be celebrated at the annual ceremony in Washington, D.C. in December.

Each are being honored for their lifetime artistic achievements, with the Apollo being given a special honor as an iconic American institution. Every year, the Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals who have shaped the fabric of American culture through performing arts.

Coppola, who just premiered his latest film, “Megalopolis,” at the Cannes Film Festival, said in a statement: “I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to collaborate with great artists and wonderful people throughout my career, and I have never stopped learning. There is no greater honor than to be included along with those who inspired me, who I looked up to, and who gave me encouragement when times were dim. I am grateful to the Kennedy Center, my beloved colleagues, to those who equate beauty and truth, and to all the children of the world.”

Grateful Dead, who are currently performing a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, added: “The Grateful Dead has always been about community, creativity, and exploration in music and presentation. We’ve always felt that the music we make embodies and imparts something beyond the notes and phrases being played — and that is something we are privileged to share with all who are drawn to what we do — so it also must be said that our music belongs as much to our fans, the Dead Heads, as it does to us. This honor, then, is as much theirs as ours.”

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Raitt said, “There is no higher level of esteem nor as delightful a celebration, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to all who have chosen me to receive this honor. I look forward to the upcoming ceremony and festivities, which I know will be one of my life’s peak experiences.”

This year’s Kennedy Center Honors will take place on Dec. 8 and air on Dec. 23 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

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