The 43 beneficiaries of the Kennedy Center were announced annually. Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, artist, choreographer and actress Debbie Allen and violinist Midori are the winners for 2020. Usually held in December, last year’s ceremony was postponed until May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Kennedy Center Awards are a time to celebrate outstanding artists who have spent their lives raising the cultural history of our nation and world,” Kennedy Center President David M. Rubenstein said in a news release. “The popular icon Joan Baez gave a new life to the genre and propelled the rotation of rock music to the social and political consciousness,” he added about the singer, composer and alum of Rock Hall.
The Kennedy Center will host small, in-person events throughout its campus, each with physically distant audiences. The events will include performances and speech tributes to the Honored. A series of virtual events will also begin on May 17, while a Medallion Ceremony for the Winners and a limited audience will be hosted by the Kennedy Center in the week of May 17-22.
Read about Joan Baez in “A Rock Hall Voter Breaks Down the Most Epic Nomination Class in Decades” on the pitch.