Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick and the lone surviving Bee Gees brother Barry Gibb will be fêted at the 46th Kennedy Center Honors, it was announced Thursday.
“When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told ‘No.’ No, you won’t be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap you can’t sing. No, singers can’t become actresses. No, actors can’t also produce,” Latifah, 53, said, in a statement. “To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community.”
In a statement, Gibb, 76, said: “It’s hard to be proud and humble at the same time. It is one of the most special moments in my life and something that I will always cherish. When I think back over 50 years to our beginnings in Redcliffe, Queensland, I could never have expected this to happen in my life. Receiving the Kennedy Center Honors is something that everyone hopes might happen one day. I’ve often thought about but never dreamed it could come true. Thank you to all those who made this dream a reality. I wish my brothers were here so that they could’ve shared in this special moment.”
Warwick, 82, said she is “exceptionally happy to be honored by the Kennedy Center” and added: “It’s very exciting to be recognized for my contributions to the music industry for the past 60 years.”
Soprano Renée Fleming and comedian Billy Crystal are also recipients of the award, which recognizes the lifetime achievements of artists who have made “profound contributions to the cultural life of our nation.”
The 46th Kennedy Center Honors gala, hosted by singer Gloria Estefan, will be held on Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C. and will air at a later date.
Recent honourees include U2, Garth Brooks, Gladys Knight, Amy Grant and Canada’s Joni Mitchell.