Black women are constantly doing their thing! Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick have both been chosen as honorees of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors.
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual event that celebrates individuals in the performing arts for their achievements. It was first established in 1977 by the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The honors are awarded to artists from various backgrounds including music, dance, theater and more.
This year’s honorees are nothing short of spectacular. Names like Billy Crystal, Renee Fleming and Barry Gibb will be recognized at the 46th annual event. However, when it comes to Black women, the organization chose Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick to honor for their work in music.
Kennedy Center Honors Black Women
The ceremony is one of the most prestigious awards in the performing arts world. A committee composed of the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees, as well as past honorees and other prominent figures in the arts select the honorees. Both Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick shared their excitement to be among those chosen this year.
“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,” Warwick shared in a statement.
Queen Latifah expressed that her journey to get to where she is today was not easy.
“When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, ‘No’,” Latifah 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. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I’m beyond grateful for this recognition.”
The awards will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on December 3rd, hosted by Gloria Estefan.