CBS broadcasts The 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors—celebrating Tony nominee Debbie Allen (Sweet Charity) and Tony winner Dick Van Dyke (Bye Bye Birdie) for lifetime artistic achievements—June 6. It can also be streamed on Paramount+.
Produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment, the telecast begins at 8 PM ET; check local listings. Other honorees include singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez, country singer-songwriter Garth Brooks, and violinist Midori.
The 2020 Kennedy Center Honors, traditionally held in early December, was postponed until May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A medallion ceremony for the honorees with a limited audience was hosted by the Kennedy Center during the week of May 17. The Center’s entire campus also came alive with small, in-person events, and re-envisioned virtual tributes. Featuring multiple events for physically-distant audiences in locations across the Kennedy Center’s campus, programs encompassed both performances and speaking tributes for the honorees.
“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the remarkable artists who have spent their lives elevating the cultural history of our nation and world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in an earlier statement. “Debbie Allen moves seamlessly between artistic disciplines and is a cultural ambassador for all while having a monumental impact on dancers of color everywhere; folk icon Joan Baez breathed new life into the genre and powered rock music’s turn toward social and political consciousness; as one of the world’s best-selling music artists, Garth Brooks heightened country music’s profile like no other singer before him; with an international presence for over 35 years, violinist Midori combines graceful precision and expression for performances building connections between art and the human experience; with a charm that has made him one of the most cherished performers in show business history, Dick Van Dyke has brought us beloved film, stage, and TV characters adored by generations of fans, for more than seven decades.”
Actor Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt, R&B collective Earth, Wind & Fire, children’s series Sesame Street, and conductor and musical visionary Michael Tilson Thomas were the 2019 honorees.
