Kennedy Center honors Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola and Grateful Dead

Mickey Hart, drummer for Grateful Dead, expressed a similar sentiment, calling the award the “highest level of artistic achievement.”

The band has already been awarded a Grammy for their lifetime achievement and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Bonnie Raitt has won 13 Grammys and is a well-known social activist, while Arturo Sandoval is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, among many other awards. Both said they were deeply honored to be among the recipients of the Kennedy Center’s recognition.

“Our honorees this year have all played an invaluable, groundbreaking role in the development of American culture,” said Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center. “Not with a single artistic act, but with their decades-long dedication to pushing creative boundaries. In December, we are pleased to pay special tribute to New York City’s famed Apollo Theater on its 90th anniversary. Throughout its history, the Apollo has moved us and the world forward by discovering and nurturing raw talent and forging a unique cultural identity that continues to define American culture today.”

Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick were honored at the annual event in 2023.

The ceremony will premiere on December 23 on CBS.