The ceremony, which was attended by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, saluted singer-songwriter , actresses and , filmmaker George Lucas and conductor Seiji Ozawa. It was hosted by "The Late Show"'s Stephen Colbert.
" Honors recognizes the extraordinary and unparalleled talents of individuals whose impact and genius have left an indelible mark on civilization," stated Kennedy Center chairman David M. Rubenstein in an earlier statement. "Quite simply, our Honorees represent the voices, soundtracks, and stories of our personal lives and memories."
According to CBS, Miranda gave a spoken tribute honoring Moreno. He was joined by Olivo, who performed "America," Academy Award nominee , who performed "Fever" and Gina Rodriguez, who also gave a spoken tribute.
In honoring King, current star of , , performed "So Far Away" with . They were joined by who gave a spoken tribute; Bareilles, who performed "You've Got a Friend"; Janelle Mon谩e, who performed "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "One Fine Day"; , who performed "Up on the Roof"; and Aretha Franklin, who performed "Natural Woman." Spoken tributes were also given by star Davis, opera singer and Broadway actress Renee Flemming, actor, writer and filmmaker Tyler Perry, Emmy nominee , and Oscar-winning directors and , among others.
Rock group the Eagles were previously announced as 2015 honorees but due to health concerns for band member Glenn Frey, the center announced it would postpone the presentation of a Kennedy Center Honors with hopes to include the group among the 2016 recipients.
The Kennedy Center Honors medallions were presented Dec. 5, the night before the gala. The gala was recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network as a two-hour primetime special. Visit for more information.
