At a ceremony held in the East Room of the White House prior to the official presentation of this year's Kennedy Center honors last night, President Obama welcomed the guests and praised the recipients of this year's distinguished award.
The Honors recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts – whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television – and are selected by the Center’s Board of Trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
Cal Ripkin
Cal Ripkin & wife
Robert A. Altman & Lynda Carter
Robert A. Altman & Lynda Carter
Vernon Jordan & wife
Vernon Jordan & wife
Vernon Jordan & wife
David Gregory & wife
Billy Connolly & wife Pamela Stephenson Connolly
Jimmy Kimmel & girlfriend Molly McNearney
Jimmy Kimmel & girlfriend Molly McNearney
Anna Romano & Ray Romano
Anna Romano & Ray Romano
Jack Black & wife Tanya Haden
Robert De Niro & wife Grace Hightower
Robert De Niro & wife Grace Hightower
Itzhak Perlman & wife Toby
Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert
Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert
Yo-Yo Ma & daughter
Yo-Yo Ma wife, Jill Horner & daughter
Kid Rock and his mother Susan Ritchie
Kid Rock and his mother Susan Ritchie
George Stevens Jr. and wife
Joshua Bell & Larisa Martinez
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