The Kennedy Center Announces 2019 Honorees - See the Full List!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2019 honorees!

Five honorees were selected to receive the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements, the organization announced on Thursday (July 18).

Earth, Wind & Fire, Sally Field, Linda Ronstadt, Sesame Street, and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will all be honored at the event.

“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates icons who, through their artistry, have left an indelible stamp on our collective cultural consciousness. Earth, Wind & Fire’s hooks and grooves are the foundation of a seminal style that continues to shape our musical landscape; Sally Field has brought us unforgettable characters, both joyous and poignant, for more than five decades; Linda Ronstadt is the defining voice of a generation, spanning genres, languages, and continents; Sesame Street continues to revolutionize how children and adults learn about our world; and Michael Tilson Thomas goes far beyond keeping score: he has shaped American music and musical institutions for the 21st century.” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

This is the first time a television program will receive the award.

The Kennedy Center Honors medallions will be presented on Saturday, December 7, the night before the Gala, at a State Department dinner. The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on CBS as a two-hour primetime special on Sunday, December 15 at 8 p.m. ET.