2017 Kennedy Center Honorees

Announcing the recipients of The Kennedy Center's 40th Annual Honors.

On December 3, 2017, the Kennedy Center will hold its 40th annual national celebration of the arts – The Kennedy Center Honors. The 2017 recipients are American dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, Cuban American singer-songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan, American hip hop artist and entertainment icon LL COOL J, American television writer and producer Norman Lear, and American musician and record producer Lionel Richie.

"The Kennedy Center Honors spotlights the extraordinary careers of five artists whose talent and ingenuity have enriched and shaped cultural life in America," stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

"Each of this year's Honorees became known to and loved by the world because of their complete originality and bold genius," said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. "They are creators of the highest order, and as President Kennedy's living memorial, the Kennedy Center is proud to shine a light on their boundless 'contributions to the human spirit.'"

In a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the 2017 Honorees will be saluted by today's leading performers from New York, Hollywood, and the arts capitals of the world. Seated with the President of the United States and the First Lady, the Honorees will accept the recognition and gratitude of their peers through performances and tributes.

The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network for the 40th consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special on Tuesday, December 26 at 9 p.m. ET.

2017 Kennedy Center Honors Executive Producers: Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, White Cherry Entertainment, Founding Producer: George Stevens, Jr.