Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center announced its 2022 honorees Thursday, featuring George Clooney and U2, among others.
The full list of honorees includes Clooney, Christian pop singer-songwriter Amy Grant, R&B singer Gladys Knight, composer Tania Leon, and rock band U2, made up of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.
The annual event will reportedly be held on Dec. 4 and will later be shown on CBS and streamed on Paramount +.
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“Whether saving humanity, masterminding a heist, or captaining a ship in dangerous seas, actor George Clooney’s unique brand of earnest charisma and his complete embodiment of a character has led us to root for him every time,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.
“One of most influential rock bands of the modern rock era, U2, won over America and the world long ago with their iconic anthems, potent lyrics, and powerful messages of social justice and global citizenship —earning a musical legacy that crosses generations, inspires, and unites,” he added.
Rubenstein acknowledged the careers and legacies of the other honorees as well.
“For nearly a half-century, the Kennedy Center Honors has represented the very best of America’s creative culture. The Honors is often referred to by past recipients as the pinnacle of awards because it recognizes not just one performance, album, or film, but esteems an artist’s cumulative body of work and influence over many decades. This level of distinction is important,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter.
She added that the center’s namesake would be happy that it is living up to his vision for “an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft.”
“Growing up in a small town in Kentucky I could never have imagined that someday I’d be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors. To be mentioned in the same breath with the rest of these incredible artists is an honor,” Clooney said.
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U2 also gushed about the honor, saying, “We never imagined that 40 years on, we would be invited back to receive one of the nation’s greatest honours … It has been a four-decade love affair with the country and its people, its artists, and culture. We consider America to be a home away from home and we are very grateful to the Kennedy Center Honors for welcoming us into this great clan of extraordinary artists.”
