The Apollo makes history as first institution honored by Kennedy Center

NEW YORK — The Apollo, Francis Ford Coppola and the Grateful Dead are among the 47th annual class of Kennedy Center honorees, marking the first time a cultural institution will be feted at the annual ceremony.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday announced those who will be recognized for lifetime artistic achievements. In addition to Harlem’s “iconic American institution,” the “Godfather” filmmaker, 85, and the beloved rock band, honorees also include blues artist Bonnie Raitt and musician Arturo Sandoval.

“The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes artists who have made an extraordinary impact on the cultural life of our nation and continue to have an immeasurable influence on new generations,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

“Our Honorees this year have each played an invaluable, pioneering role in developing American culture — not with one act of art but with their decades-long devotion to pushing creative boundaries,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter.

Pointing to the Apollo’s forthcoming 90th anniversary in December, Rutter noted that the theater has helped in “molding a unique cultural identity that defines American culture still today.

“Across Honors weekend, artists with special connects to the Apollo will serve as ambassadors of the institution’s legacy,” Rutter continued.

Speaking on behalf of the Apollo, President & CEO Michelle Ebanks said the venue is “thrilled to be the first organization honored in the history of the Kennedy Center Awards, emphasizing The Apollo’s impact on the past, present, and future of American culture and the performing arts.”

Five-time Oscar winner Coppola responded to the acknowledgement by saying, “There is no greater honor than to be included along with those who inspired me, who I looked up to, and who gave me encouragement when times were dim.”

Dubbed by the Kennedy Center as “the musical pioneers of American counterculture,” the Dead, for their part, said their “music belongs as much to our fans, the Dead Heads, as it does to us.

“This honor, then, is as much theirs as ours,” concluded the band.

The Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS, and stream on Paramount+, on Monday, Dec. 23.