CBS will continue to broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors special through 2025 under a new agreement announced during the honors ceremony Sunday night.
CBS has broadcast the special since its debut in 1978.
“The Kennedy Center Honors is the most prestigious award given to artists in America,” said CBS CEO Les Moonves. “We are proud that we will continue to broadcast this award-winning telecast for many years to come. It is also a privilege to extend this incredible 39-year partnership with the amazing team at The Kennedy Center, and continue to honor and celebrate our greatest performing artists well into the next decade.”
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"We’re fortunate to have had such great partners in CBS over the history of the Kennedy Center Honors,” said Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein. “Next year we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Honors, and we look forward to working with CBS to build on its legacy of paying tribute to our most talented performing artists, those who have left an indelible mark on our society’s cultural fabric and continue to surprise and inspire us all.”
The 39th Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast Dec. 27 at 9 p.m. It will be hosted by Stephen Colbert for the third straight year. The honorees are Martha Argerich, the Eagles, Al Pacino, Mavis Staples and James Taylor.
The awards are given for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
Over the years, the broadcast has received 15 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.
