Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah and Renee Flemming Preview ‘The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors’

The Kennedy Center recognized a new class of icons for their lifetimes of artistic achievements on December 3 — and on December 27, you can attend the star-studded 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors from your living room!

“My class is the truth,” new Kennedy Center honoree Queen Latifah boasts of her 2023 cohorts. “I've got Renée Fleming, the voice of an angel. I got Dionne Warwick — I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, my fellow East Orange girl whose voice made me feel like I could sing the way I sing. And Billy Crystal, of course, has been making me laugh my whole life. And come on, Barry Gibb! What song don't you know by him? It's pretty remarkable to sit in this wonderful group of people and be a part of it.”

FIRST for Women has everything you need to know about the 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on CBS – including who’s performing, who’s presenting, and how Crystal, Fleming, Gibb, Queen Latifah, and Warwick feel about the honor.

Dione Warwick talks Kennedy Center Honors

Since joining social media in 2021, wise-cracking and witty Dionne Warwick has been dubbed “Queen of Twitter” – but the Lifetime Achievement Grammy-winner has long ruled as the queen of soul.

With over 100 million records sold and 60 years in the business, Warwick recently released the Dolly Parton duet, “Peace Like a River,” and is working on the gospel album Songs of Inspiration. The 82-year-old former actress, television host, and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization doesn’t seem to be slowing down, and she’s thrilled to receive her Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.

“I was very excited to hear because this is one of the most prestigious honors that can be given,” Warwick says. “Music is a steadfast bastion that we should all not only continue to recognize but know it as something that is absolutely necessary for the world to survive.”

Debbie Allen, Herbie Hancock, Ego Nwodim, and Clive Davis will take the stage to honor Warwick. Gladys Knight, Mickey Guyton and The Spinners, Cynthia Erivo, and Chloe Bailey will perform Warwick's beloved hits “Say a Little Prayer,” “Then Came You,” “Alfie,” and “Walk on By,” respectively.

Related: Dionne Warwick Songs: 21 of Her Greatest Hits Guaranteed To Lift Your Spirits

Billy Crystal talks Kennedy Center Honors

While many award-winning actors get their start in daytime soap operas, Tony-winner, three-time Grammy winner, and six-time Emmy-winner Billy Crystal made his name by poking fun at the genre via the campy ‘70s TV satire, Soap. After his memorable run as a Saturday Night Live host and cast member in the mid-80s and his first comedy album, Marvelous!, Crystal went on to appear in instant classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers.

Beyond his success on big screen and small, the standup comedian has hosted The Academy Awards nine times – earning five of his Emmys for performing his Oscar duties. He also joined Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg in raising awareness and funds to fight poverty with Comic Relief, which aired from 1986- 2010.

“For me personally, there were so many surprises,” Crystal says of the Kennedy Center Honors celebration. “I'm just thrilled about being recognized for my body of work. It's the highest honor that you can get for the arts. I'm very humble and grateful about my work and value it – especially as you get older! You look back, and you go, ‘Whoa, I did a lot of stuff!”

Crystal receives his Kennedy Center Honors from pals Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan, Jay Leno, Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Bob Costas. De Niro will also join Lin-Manuel Miranda and Marc Shaiman for what is sure to be a silly song and dance.

Queen Latifah talks Honors & 50 years of Hip Hop

Born Dana Elaine Owens, Queen Latifah boasts a Grammy, an Emmy, a Golden Globe, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards — to name a few! Not only was the star of CBS’s Equalizer honored to join her fellow Kennedy Center classmates, but she was also thrilled the night included a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop.

“This is important for our entire country,” Queen Latifah says. “It's important that hip hop is recognized as a true American art form that should be celebrated and honored in this way.

“I'm hoping I'm only the first of many women hip hop artists that get this award, and that hip hop continues to grow from here and really be treasured as what it is,” Latifah continues. “This changed our whole lives and created a whole economic stream for people who might not otherwise have had it, and opportunity. Hopefully, we'll continue to do that.”

Former honoree Rita Moreno joins Van Van and Missy Elliott in presenting Latifa with her Kennedy Center Honor, while Kerry Washington shares the Queen’s story.

With MC Lyte, Monie Love, D-Nice, Yo-Yo, RM Band, Van Van, Rapsody and The Clark Sisters set to take the stage, Latifah fans can expect to see renditions of “Latifah’s Had It Up to Here,” “Ladies First,” “U.N.I.T.Y ” “Just Another Day," “You Brought the Sunshine,” “Winki’s Theme,” and “I Know Where I’ve Been.”

“My heroes of hip hop on the stage honoring me is, like, unbelievable,” Queen Latifah admits.

Renée Fleming talks Kennedy Center Honors

Five-time Grammy-winning soprano Renee Fleming is the most classical of the 2023 Kennedy Center Honorees, with a repertoire that covers opera, classical, jazz, and pop. Beyond sharing her incomparable voice with the world, the advocate edited the book Music and Mind: Harnessing The Arts For Health And Wellness, which features essays from creative and scientific thought leaders.

The icon – who has been called on to perform for occasions like the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and the Super Bowl – admits that when she performed for Van Cliburn at the 2001 Kennedy Center Honors, she couldn’t help but dream about receiving the honor herself.

“I just thought, ‘Wow, someday… wouldn't that be amazing if I got one of these?’” Fleming recalls. “But all of us, the other honorees and I, have said, still, when it happens, it’s incredible. It's overwhelming. It's unbelievable. This is especially meaningful to me. It's a big deal, and I'm incredibly honored and so grateful.”

De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, and Tituss Burgess join Christine Baranski in honoring Fleming, while Disney alum turned pop diva Dove Cameron introduces a new generation to Fleming’s sound by performing “The Light in the Piazza” with Patrick Vaccariello.

Additional tributes to Fleming include Julia Bullock, Ailyn Pérez, Angel Blue, and Nadine Sierra collaborating on “Song to the Moon” with Patrick Summers and Tituss Burgess, Susan Graham, Christine Baranski, and Rev. Stef & Jubilation Choir performing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Barry Gibb talks Kennedy Center Honors

To most of us, Sir Barry Gibb is, first and foremost, the epic falsetto of the Bee Gees. With a 60-year career behind him, however, the British Grammy-winner’s Kennedy Center Honor also reflects his reign as one of the most prolific hit songwriters of our time.

“I love writing and working with other people, especially ladies,” Gibb says. “So it's always worked well for me to work with Dionne, Barbra Streisand, and people like that.”

While receiving the Kennedy Center Honors was surreal and fabulous, the former Bee Gee missed sharing the stage with late brothers, Robin and Maurice – with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

“I've watched it for years, and I always thought, ‘Well, maybe one day,’” Gibb says of the Kennedy Center Honors. “I didn't know it was going to be without my brothers. It's just the way things happen in life. But they deserve this too.”

Amy Grant and Stephen Gibb join The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors host Gloria Estefan in presenting Gibb with his honor, while Ariana DeBose brings the house down with a disco medley featuring “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Night Fever,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “You Should Be Dancin’” with Chloe Flower.

Ben Platt, Little Big Town, and Michael Bublé also perform “Nights on Broadway” with Wayne Linsey, “Lonely Days,” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” respectively.

Related: 1960s Love Songs: 20 Heartfelt Hits That Will Leave You Totally Smitten

How to watch The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

In her role as The Kennedy Center Honors host for the third consecutive year, Gloria Estefan will perform her hits “Conga” and “Get on Your Feet” with Sheila E. The star-studded celebration of this year’s Kennedy Center honorees Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah, and Dionne Warwick will include appearances and performances from the likes of Gladys Knight, Michael Bublé, Herbie Hancock, Cynthia Erivo, Robert De Niro, Kerry Washington, MC Lyte, Christine Baranski, Little Big Town, and more.

The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will air Wednesday, December 27 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).