NPR

Kennedy Center Names Its 2018 Honorees

Cher, Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter, Philip Glass and the creators of Hamilton will be celebrated at this year's gala on Dec. 2.
The exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The Kennedy Center annually recognizes artists who have had a uniquely wide and enduring impact on American culture. On Wednesday, the Washington, D.C. institution announced this year's recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors: country singer Reba McEntire, jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, composer Philip Glass, singer Cher, and the creative team behind the smash musical Hamilton.

This year's awardees are a. Glass is one of the most celebrated contemporary composers in the world, and is also a co-founder of Tibet House, a cultural institution that seeks to "ensure the survival of Tibetan civilization and culture." Cher is, of course, an idiosyncratic and indelible pop totem (and gifted Twitter user). Her statement upon learning Wednesday's news was typically offbeat: "When I was very young I saw and and knew then what I wanted to be and the path my life would take and here I am!"

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