Dionne Warwick, Barry Gibb & More Among 2023 Kennedy Center Honorees

All five of the 2023 Kennedy Center Honorees have strong ties to music. The honorees, announced on Thursday (June 22) are actor and comedian Billy Crystal; soprano Renée Fleming; singer-songwriter-producer Barry Gibb; rapper, singer and actress Queen Latifah; and singer Dionne Warwick.

This year’s show will tape on Sunday, Dec. 3, on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage in Washington, D.C., for broadcast later that month on CBS. It will include (yet another) 50th anniversary salute to hip-hop, which makes Queen Latifah’s induction this year even more fitting.

“This year we pay special tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a uniquely American culture whose constant evolution is one of enduring relevance and impact, reflecting our society as it has grown into an international phenomenon,” Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center, said in a statement. “Hip-hop has been an important, thriving art form here at the Center for a number of years; what a privilege it is to bestow an Honors to the First Lady of Hip-Hop [Queen Latifah] who has inspired us along the way.” 

Fleming, Gibb, Queen Latifah and Warwick have all won Grammy Awards. As part of Bee Gees, Gibb received a lifetime achievement award from the from the Recording Academy in 2015. Warwick received the same honor in 2019.

As part of Bee Gees, Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Bee Gees had nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. (And that doesn’t even count their era-defining contribution to the multi-artist Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which topped the chart for 24 consecutive weeks in 1978 and won a Grammy for album of the year.)

Warwick had two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 – “Then Came You,” a 1974 collab with The Spinners, and “That’s What Friends Are For,” a 1985 smash which featured Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight. Remarkably, all four members of “Dionne & Friends,” as that assemblage was billed, are now Kennedy Center honorees. Wonder was honored in 1999, John in 2004 and Knight last year.

Warwick’s selection comes just months after the death of Burt Bacharach, who composed many of her greatest hits. Bacharach never received a Kennedy Center Honor, though he and Hal David did receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, among other honors.

Gibb co-produced Warwick’s 1982 album Heartbreaker with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. The title track, which Gibb co-wrote with his brothers Robin and Maurice, became a top 10 hit on the Hot 100. Gibb also played a key role in creating major hits by Dolly Parton (a 2006 Kennedy Center Honoree) and Barbra Streisand (a 2008 honoree). He co-wrote and co-produced Parton’s “Islands in the Stream,” a Hot 100-topping collab with Kenny Rogers in 1983, and Streisand’s “Woman in Love,” a Hot 100-topping hit in 1980 from her Billboard 200-topping album, Guilty.

Queen Latifah is the only Oscar nominee in this year’s class. She was nominated for best supporting actress for Chicago (2002). Bee Gees’ failure to land a best original song nod for any of their songs from Saturday Night Fever remains one of Oscar’s biggest snubs.

Though not a Grammy winner, Crystal is a three-time Grammy nominee and a three-time host of the Grammy Awards (1987-89), who went on to host the Oscars nine times.

Gloria Estefan, a 2017 Kennedy Center honoree, returns as host of the Kennedy Center Honors for the third time. The show will air on CBS for the 46th year and stream on Paramount+.

Each year, honorees are confirmed by the executive committee of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees. The honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement.

Done+Dusted returns as executive producers for a second year. The show will be produced by Done+Dusted in association with ROK Productions, represented by Elizabeth Kelly, who will executive produce alongside David Jammy. The show will be directed by Alex Rudzinski.

Here are honoree statements, gathered by the Kennedy Center Honors.

“I am overwhelmed to be part of this fantastic group of artists. I started performing when I was five years old, making my parents and family laugh. Those laughs have carried me my entire life and career. I so wish they could be at the Kennedy Center for this glorious occasion. It has been a thrilling lifetime of performing in so many different arenas and my heart is full of gratitude to the Kennedy Center, my wife Janice, my children and grandchildren, our family and friends, and all the amazing people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And finally, of course, my wonderful fans.” –Billy Crystal

“How thrilling to join the company of legendary artists who have received this recognition. This award demonstrates the richness and range of the performing arts in our country, and the Kennedy Center’s celebration is a powerful expression of our culture. Music has defined the arc of my life, giving voice to an introverted child, taking me to places I never dreamed of visiting and people I never dreamed of meeting. Most of all, it has shown me the enormous potential for healing and joy that the arts offer everyone. Having looked with awe at the Honorees in that box at the Kennedy Center Opera House, I’m incredibly grateful to think I will be among them.” –Renée Fleming

“This is a wonderful honor! 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.” –Barry Gibb

“I’m humbled to be included in this incredible list of artists honored by the Kennedy Center. 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. To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I’m beyond grateful for this recognition.” –Queen Latifah

“I’m exceptionally happy to be honored by the Kennedy Center. It’s very exciting to be recognized for my contributions to the music industry for the past 60 years.” –Dionne Warwick