Kennedy Center Honors 2018: TV Air Date, Time, Honorees And Performers

The 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which celebrates those who’ve made significant contributions to the world of American culture via the performing arts, comes to CBS Wednesday night.

This year, there are four honorees, including country music superstar Reba McEntire, pianist Philip Glass, actress and singer Cher and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Also, there’s a special trailblazer honor being given to the co-creators of the musical “Hamilton.” The ones receiving that award are Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire.

“The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes exceptional artists who have made enduring and indelible marks on our culture,” Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a press release. “Cher is the consummate star, wowing generations of fans with her distinctive voice, blockbuster albums and glittering on-screen presence; Philip Glass is a modern-day Mozart whose works across opera, symphony, chamber music and film define contemporary music and simply transfix us.”

He continued: “Country songstress Reba McEntire has inspired us over five decades with her powerhouse voice and music that conveys heartfelt, heartwarming honesty; Wayne Shorter is a seminal artist, defying categorization while carrying forward the mantle of jazz; and the creators of ‘Hamilton’ have literally and figuratively changed the face of American culture with daringly original, breathtakingly relevant work.”

The two-hour special was filmed on Dec. 2, which is when the actual celebration took place in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. Aside from the honors being given out during the event, viewers can also expect to see quite a few performances and tributes, both from the honorees and others in the industry.

Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Kristen Chenoweth, Brooks and Dunn, Little Big Town, Adam Lambert and Cyndi Lauper are some of the ones performing during the show.

See it all when The 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors airs on CBS on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST.