Tom Hanks, Sting and Al Green Were Among Kennedy Center Honorees
Celebrity

Tom, Sting, Al along with Lily Tomlin and ballerina Patricia McBride enjoyed a star-studded salute in their honor on Sunday evening, December 7.

AceShowbiz - Tom Hanks, Sting, Al Green, Lily Tomlin and ballerina Patricia McBride were honored with the 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in a star-studded gala on Sunday evening, December 7. Hosted by Stephen Colbert, the event was held at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

Before the show, the honorees expressed their excitement on the red carpet. Tom, who has received many awards throughout the years, said the Kennedy Center honor was different, joking that other awards like "a sweepstakes competition... you get dressed up for a night, then they say someone else's name and you feel horrible for six hours." He added that "no one's losing tonight!" and joked it was a good thing because "you can't compete with Sting because he's so darn good-looking!"

Sting said, "I feel very happy in my trophy. I'm not sure when I'll wear it again, but I think I look rather fetching in it. It's still pretty overwhelming. I'm dealing with it quite well." Al, who was all smiles, said receiving the honor was "heartwarming... kind of gets you choked up." When asked about how he felt, he joked, "How does it look like I feel?"

Lily said meeting President Barack Obama was her favorite part of receiving the honor. "Obama was so witty and funny and charming and extremely warm," she said. Patricia, meanwhile, said receiving the honor alongside other honorees was "something I never envisioned, and it's extraordinary. When I hung up my toe shoes, I didn't look back, I looked forward."

Stephen opened the ceremony with a few politic digs. "Tonight, Washington puts the arts above politics because no matter what party you belong to, everybody wants a selfie with Tom Hanks," he told the audience.

Al was the first one to receive the tribute. Whoopi Goldberg said of the 68-year-old singer, "Al Green can caress a lyric like no one else." Earth, Wind & Fire performed a medley of Al's song "I Can't Get Next to You" and "Love & Happiness". Jennifer Hudson sang "Simply Beautiful", Usher crooned "Let's Stay Together" while Mavis Staples performed "Take Me to the River".

Christine Baranski spoke in honor of Patricia, "She was the muse of two of the 20th century's greatest choreographers, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. All of these names are Kennedy Center honorees. Tonight, at long last, she joins their company." Tiler Peck and Misty Copeland were among the ballerinas who performed a medley for Patricia.

David Letterman paid tribute to Tom who was his friend for decades."We are honoring a man who was once upstaged by a volleyball," David told the crowd. "Whenever Tom is a guest on our show, I always say, 'Again?' " he added, "And Tom said, 'Dave, when people want to promote their movies, this is not the show they go on.' "

Steven Spielberg said, "I see [Tom] as the hardest working actor I know. And he's also a good man... Tom's art comes completely from his heart." Martin Short, meanwhile, joked, "Tom is the essence of America - especially when he gained 50 pounds for a role."

Jane Fonda, who starred along with Lily in "9 to 5", saluted the comedian, saying, "I approached Lily and excitedly shared my vision and she immediately said, 'No.' " Other stars like "Glee" star Jane Lynch, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Kate McKinnon and singer Reba McEntire were also on hands to salute Lily.

Sting was honored by Meryl Streep. "[Sting]'s still unsatisfied... thinking, 'What's next? What's left to discover?' In his search for his own truth, he whispers directly into our hearts," Meryl said.

In honor of Sting, Lady GaGa performed "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You", Esperanza Spalding sang "Fragile", while Bruce Springsteen, who was honored by Sting when receiving his Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, crooned "I Hung My Head". Bruno Mars performed a medley of "So Lonely", "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle".

The 37th Kennedy Center Honors is scheduled to air on CBS on December 30 at 9 P.M. ET/PT.

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