George Clooney, U2, Gladys Knight and more to receive 2022 Kennedy Center Honors
When the band U2 and four other artists receive this year's Kennedy Center Honors in December, it will be a "Beautiful Day" for them.
The Irish rock group will be recognised this year, along with actor George Clooney, singers Gladys Knight and Amy Grant
and composer Tania León, according to a statement released on Thursday by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The centre typically recognises five individuals each year for their contributions to American culture through the arts.
But bands and other organisations occasionally receive honours as well.
In an interview, Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center, stated that while her organisation bestows its honours
it has "worked extremely hard to think about 'Are we including all of the performing arts
The 45th anniversary of the awards will be celebrated on December 4 in Washington, D.C., at a gala performance with notable performers. Later, the programme will be shown on CBS.
When informed that they had been chosen, the honorees all reacted with a mild sense of disbelief.
U2 vocalist Bono, 62, reportedly dropped his fork while eating when he learned the band had been chosen for the accolade, according to Rutter.
The Kennedy Center Honors performer Knight, 78, said she never imagined herself on the opposite side of the stage.