2017 Kennedy Center Honorees – Standing, left to right: LL COOL J, Lionel Richie; Seated, left to right: Carmen de Lavallade, Norman Lear, Gloria Estefan – Photo courtesy of CBS.
The 40th Annual Kennedy Centers Honors will salute a group of renowned artists that include: LL Cool J, Lionel Ritchie, Carman de Lavallade, Norman Lear and Gloria Estefan.
Presenters/Performers include: Stevie Wonder, Jon Secada, Rachel Bloom, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, Meryl Streep, Eva Longoria and more.
The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on Tuesday, December 26th (9/8C).
AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF RENOWNED ARTISTS
GATHER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TO SALUTE THIS YEAR’S
HONOREES AT “THE 40TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS,” TO BE BROADCAST TUESDAY, DEC. 26
Following are honoree, presenter, performer and production credits for THE 40TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, an entertainment special to be broadcast Tuesday, Dec. 26 on the CBS Television Network.
ON AIR:
9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT
ORIGINATION:
Filmed in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017
OPENING REMARKS:
Caroline Kennedy
Daughter of former President John F. Kennedy. Author, attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013-2017
HONOREE:
Gloria Estefan
Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/
PERFORMERS:
Eva Longoria (Spoken Tribute)
Actress, producer, director, activist and businesswoman
The Cast of “On Your Feet! The Musical” (Performs “1, 2, 3”)
Broadway musical based on the life and music of Gloria and Emilio Estefan
Chaka Khan (Performs “Coming Out of the Dark” with the Howard University Gospel Choir)
Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist
Jon Secada (Spoken Tribute)
Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning singer and songwriter
Becky G (Performs “Mi Tierra”)
Singer, songwriter, rapper, actress and model
Emily Estefan (Performs “Reach”)
Daughter of Gloria and Emilio Estefan; drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter
Miami Sound Machine (Performs “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”/“Oye”/ “Conga”/“Turn the Beat Around”/“Everlasting Love”/“Get on Your Feet”)
Latin-influenced band established by Emilio Estefan Jr. featuring the vocals of Gloria Estefan
HONOREE:
Norman Lear
Multiple Emmy Award and Peabody Award-winning television writer, producer and political activist
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/
PERFORMERS:
J.J. Abrams (Spoken Tribute)
Multiple Emmy Award-winning director, producer, screenwriter, actor and composer
United States Airforce Singing Sergeants (Performs “America, the Beautiful”)
Dave Chappelle (Spoken Tribute)
Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor, writer and producer
Rob Reiner (Performance Tribute from “All in the Family”)
Multiple Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, director, producer and activist
Rachel Bloom (Performance Tribute from “Maude”)
Actress, comedian, writer and producer, currently starring in the television series CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
Kenya Barris (Performance Tribute from “Good Times”)
Writer, producer and creator of numerous television shows and winner of the NAACP Image Award for “Black-ish”
Anthony Anderson (Performance Tribute from “The Jeffersons”)
Actor, comedian and writer; star and creator of the television comedy “Black-ish”
Rita Moreno (Performance Tribute from “One Day at a Time”)
Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Emmy Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer; 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree
HONOREE:
LL COOL J
Rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/
PERFORMERS:
Queen Latifah (Spoken Tribute)
GRAMMY Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, rapper, songwriter, singer, actress, model, television and record producer
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Spoken Tribute)
GRAMMY Award-winning instrumentalist, DJ and producer; co-founder of the band The Roots
DJ Z-Trip (Performance Tribute)
DJ and record producer
Busta Rhymes (Performs “Mama Said Knock You Out”)
Rapper, actor and record producer
MC Lyte (Performs “I’m Bad”)
Pioneering female rapper
Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter (Performs “It Gets No Rougher”)
Rapper, lead MC and co-founder of the band The Roots
Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels (Performs “Rock the Bells”)
Musician; founding member of the hip hop group Run-D.M.C.
HONOREE:
Carmen de Lavallade
Actress, dancer and choreographer
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/
PERFORMERS:
Meryl Streep (Spoken Tribute)
Multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award-winning actress and philanthropist
Jon Batiste (Performs “Soul Bossa Nova” with dancers Stella Abrera and Brandon Victor Dixon)
Singer, multi-instrumentalist, educator, comedian and bandleader for THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT
Sheléa Frazier (Performs “Wade in the Water” with dancers Alicia Graf Mack, Linda Celeste Sims and Matthew Rushing)
Singer and songwriter
Jacqueline Bolier (Performs “Deux Bourées: N’aï Pas léu De MîO” with dancer Lindsey Croop)
Vocalist
Misty Copeland (Spoken Tribute)
Ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theater
Rebecca Luker
(Performs “Bill” with dancers Misty Copeland and Tony nominee Robert Fairchild)
Tony Award-winning Broadway actress and singer
Finale Tribute Performance (Performance of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” featuring all of the Carmen de Lavallade tribute participants and the Howard University Gospel Choir)
HONOREE:
Lionel Richie
Multiple GRAMMY Award, Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and record producer
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/
PERFORMERS:
Stevie Wonder (Performs “Hello” and “Easy”)
Multiple GRAMMY Award and Golden Globe Award-winning musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist; 1999 Kennedy Center Honoree and recipient of the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom
Kenny Rogers (Spoken Tribute)
GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and record producer
Luke Bryan (Performs “Penny Lover” and “Sail On”)
Country singer and songwriter
Quincy Jones (Spoken Tribute)
Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning record producer, actor, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist and humanitarian
Nicole Richie (Spoken Tribute)
Fashion designer, author, actress and television personality; daughter of Lionel Richie
Leona Lewis
(Performs “Say You Say Me” and “All Night Long”)
Singer and songwriter
Finale Tribute Performance (Reprise Performance of
“All Night Long,” featuring all of the Lionel Richie tribute participants)
PRODUCED BY: White Cherry Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss
DIRECTOR: Glenn Weiss
WRITER: David Boone
SUPERVISING PRODUCER: Rob Paine
COORDINATING PRODUCER: Sarah Levine Hall
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Steve Bass
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Bob Dickinson
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Rickey Minor
CONDUCTOR: Patrick Vaccariello
RATING: To Be Announced