2012 Honorees

Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein says “Buddy Guy is a titan of the blues and has been a tremendous influence on virtually everyone who has picked up an electric guitar in the last half century."Photo By Paul Natkin

Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein says "David Letterman is one of the most influential personalities in the history of television, entertaining an entire generation of late-night viewers with his unconventional wit and charm.

Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant transformed the sound of rock and roll with their lyricism and innovative song structures, infusing blues into the sound of rock and roll and laying the foundation for countless rock bands.” says Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. Photo By Soren Solkaer Starbird

"Natalia Makarova’s profound artistry has ignited the stages of the world’s greatest ballet companies and continues to pass the torch to the next generation of dancers" says Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.