2024 Kennedy Center Honors Will Go to Francis Ford Coppola, Grateful Dead & Bonnie Raitt

The 47th Kennedy Center Honors have been announced, and they will go to director Francis Ford Coppola, jam band Grateful Dead, singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt, Cuban trumpet player and composer Arturo Sandoval, and the Apollo Theater.

This comes as no surprise: Coppola, of course, is well-known for directing some of the best films of all time: The Godfather and its sequels, Apocalypse Now and The Outsiders, just to name a few. His newest film, Megalopolis, will be in theaters on Sept. 27, 2024 (though it has already been screened at festivals and has had some pretty mixed reviews so far).

Courtesy of Everett Collection

That the Grateful Dead is receiving the honors is also no surprise, considering their fanbase is so committed and widespread they have their own name: Deadheads. “Not so long ago, we were sort of outsiders. Now all of that’s kind of changed,” Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, one of the four remaining living members of the band, said of the honor. “We’ve been accepted into the American musical tradition, which is where we’ve always been.”

Apple Music /Courtesy Everett Collection

“A brilliant and masterful storyteller with an unrelenting innovative spirit, Francis Ford Coppola’s films have become embedded in the very idea of American culture; a social and cultural phenomenon since 1965, the Grateful Dead’s music has never stopped being a true American original while inspiring a fan culture like no other,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in a statement. “Bonnie Raitt has made us love her again and again with her inimitable voice, slide guitar, and endless musical range encompassing blues, R&B, country rock, and folk; ‘an ambassador of both music and humanity,’ Arturo Sandoval transcended literal borders coming from Cuba 30+ years ago and today continues to bridge cultures with his intoxicating blend of Afro Cuban rhythms and modern jazz; and on its 90th anniversary, The Apollo, one of the most consequential, influential institutions in history, has elevated the voices of Black entertainment in New York.”

Walt Disney/courtesy Everett Collection

The event raises money for the Kennedy Center while recognizing artists who have played an important role in the development of American culture.  It is always a major D.C. event of the year, typically attended by the president and first lady, as well as congressional leaders. The night before, the State Department also generally hosts a ceremony for honorees.

The annual ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, Dec. 8 and will air on  Monday, Dec. 23 9pm ET on the CBS and streaming on Paramount+.