HOLLYWOOD, July 16 — The Eagles, singer-songwriter Carole King and acclaimed “Star Wars” director George Lucas are to be recognised at the 2015 Kennedy Centre Honours, one of the highest awards in American culture.
The annual honours, announced yesterday, celebrate lifetime contributions to US culture through the performing arts.
Other honourees include Broadway actress Cicely Tyson, known for portraying strong female characters; classical music director Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 29 years; and veteran Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno of “West Side Story” movie fame.
The awards will be presented at a gala at Washington DC’s John F. Kennedy Centre on December 6, attended by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
Kennedy Centre president Deborah Rutter said this year’s honourees were all “artists as history-makers, artists who defy both convention and category.”
“Their individual paths to excellence are inspirational and their contributions to the fabric of American culture are equally permanent and timeless,” Rutter said in a statement.
Previous Kennedy Centre honourees include Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Elton John. — Reuters
