CBS and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have announced a new agreement that will see the Eye network continue to broadcast the annual Kennedy Center Honors through 2025. The deal extends what is already one of the longest broadcast partnerships in history, as CBS has aired the Honors since it debuted in 1978.
“The Kennedy Center Honors is the most prestigious award given to artists in America,” said Leslie Moonves, CBS Chairman & CEO in a statement. “We are proud that we will continue to broadcast this award-winning telecast for many years to come. It is also a privilege to extend this incredible 39-year partnership with the amazing team at The Kennedy Center, and continue to honor and celebrate our greatest performing artists well into the next decade.”
“We’re fortunate to have had such great partners in CBS over the history of the Kennedy Center Honors,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. “Next year we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Honors, and we look forward to working with CBS to build on its legacy of paying tribute to our most talented performing artists, those who have left an indelible mark on our society’s cultural fabric and continue to surprise and inspire us all.”
Held each year on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the Kennedy Center Honors recognize honorees for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts, including dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television, as confirmed by the Executive Committee of the Center’s Board of Trustees. The 39th edition of the Honors is set to air Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, hosted by Stephen Colbert for the third consecutive year. This year’s honorees are Martha Argerich, The Eagles, Al Pacino, Mavis Staples and James Taylor.