乔和吉尔·拜登参加肯尼迪中心荣誉星期天晚上在华盛顿庆祝五个个人和团体的艺术成就。
2021年，总统和第一夫人第一次在他们目前的办公室参加年度活动，戴上了新冠肺炎疫情的面具。(拜登夫妇的前任唐纳德和梅兰妮·特朗普，错过了庆典，通常由总统出席。)
今年，约翰·肯尼迪表演艺术中心授予演员兼人权活动家乔治·克鲁尼、歌手艾米·格兰特、表演者格蕾蒂丝·奈特、作曲家兼指挥家塔尼亚·莱昂和爱尔兰乐队U2。
“在肯塔基州的一个小镇长大，我从来没有想过有一天我会坐在肯尼迪中心颁奖典礼的阳台上。能与这些不可思议的艺术家相提并论是一种荣誉。克鲁尼在肯尼迪中心网站的一份声明中说:“这对整个克鲁尼家族来说是一个真正令人兴奋的惊喜。
副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯和第二先生道格·艾姆霍夫也将出席周日晚上的活动。
拜登夫妇在欢迎法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙后露面上周进行国事访问。总统还前往波士顿，在约翰·肯尼迪总统图书馆和博物馆迎接威廉王子。
该中心每年表彰艺术家对美国文化的影响。2021年的获奖者包括《周六夜现场》的主持人洛恩·迈克尔斯，歌手兼演员贝特·迈德尔和歌手乔尼·米切尔。
这个庆典经常像磁铁一样吸引着华盛顿的政客和好莱坞的中流砥柱，将他们吸引到位于美国首都波托马克河畔的肯尼迪中心。
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend the 44th Kennedy Center Honors,Dec. 5, 2021, in Washington.
保罗·莫里吉/盖蒂图片
今年肯尼迪中心的获奖者名单已于7月公布。
除了表彰获奖者的艺术才华和贡献，该仪式还旨在为肯尼迪中心筹集资金，该中心全年都会举办一系列演出。
Bidens attend Kennedy Center Honors for Gladys Knight, George Clooney, U2, more
Joe and Jill Bidenattended the Kennedy Center Honorson Sunday evening in Washington to celebrate five individuals and groups for their artistic accomplishments.
The president and the first lady first went to the annual event in their current offices in 2021, donning masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Donald and Melania Trump, the Bidens' predecessors,skipped the celebration, which is customarily attended by the president.)
This year, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honored actor and human rights activist George Clooney, singer Amy Grant, performer Gladys Knight, composer and conductor Tania León and Irish band U2.
"Growing up in a small town in Kentucky I could never have imagined that someday I’d be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors. To be mentioned in the same breath with the rest of these incredible artists is an honor. This is a genuinely exciting surprise for the whole Clooney family," Clooney said in a statement on the Kennedy Center's website.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff were also slated to attend Sunday night's event.
The Bidens' appearance came after the couple welcomed French President Emmanuel Macronfor a state visit last week. The president also traveled to Boston to greet Prince William at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
The center each year honors artists for their impact on American culture. Honorees celebrated in 2021 included "Saturday Night Live" showrunner Lorne Michaels, singer and actress Bette Midler and singer Joni Mitchell.
The celebration often serves as a magnet for Washington politicos and Hollywood mainstays, drawing them to the Kennedy Center, situated on the Potomac River in the nation's capital.
The recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors were announced in July.
Besides recognizing honorees' artistic talents and contributions, the ceremony is also intended to raise money for the Kennedy Center, which puts on an array of shows throughout the year.
