President Joe Biden gestures to reporters arsenic helium returns to the White House successful Washington, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. Biden had visited to the National Institutes of Health. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden volition beryllium successful the location for the Kennedy Center Honors connected Sunday.

Biden and archetypal woman Jill Biden program to instrumentality their seats successful the statesmanlike container successful the performing arts center's Opera House for a star-studded celebration of 5 artists: Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette Midler, opera vocalist Justino Diaz and people euphony fable Joni Mitchell.

The Democrat volition beryllium the archetypal president to be the Kennedy Center Honors since 2016. The archetypal lady's spokesperson, Michael LaRosa, confirmed the Bidens would beryllium attending.

President Donald Trump and archetypal woman Melania Trump skipped the amusement the archetypal 3 years helium was successful bureau aft respective of the artists who were honored successful 2017, his archetypal year, threatened to boycott a White House reception if the Republican participated.

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The 2020 ceremonial was postponed due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic, and held earlier this year.

The Trumps besides scrapped a accepted White House ceremonial for the honorees, which Biden is resuming arsenic good connected Sunday. Presidents traditionally big a lighthearted gathering with the honorees astatine the White House earlier the awards ceremony.

Trump agelong had a contentious narration with the arts world.

The 44th Kennedy Center Honors programme is returning in-person to the Opera House this year, with each attendees required to beryllium tested successful beforehand for COVID-19.

Last year, the pandemic forced organizers to bump the yearly December ceremonial backmost to May 2021. Performance tributes to the artists were filmed implicit respective nights and astatine aggregate locations connected campus.

This year's main COVID-related modification has shifted the yearly Saturday ceremony, wherever honorees person their medallions connected rainbow-colored ribbons, to the Library of Congress alternatively of the State Department.

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The Kennedy Center itself precocious reopened aft being closed due to the fact that of the pandemic.

Sunday's ceremony, which volition beryllium broadcast Dec. 22 by CBS, is the centerpiece of the Kennedy Center’s 50th day of taste programming. The halfway opened successful 1971.

Presidents usually be the honors program, archetypal held successful 1978.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.