Francis Ford Coppola will be celebrated during the 47th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.
The auteur, who is set to release his highly-anticipated self-funded epic “Megalopolis” later this year, will be honored at the annual national celebration of the arts in Washington, D.C. in December. Coppola is joined by the Grateful Dead (Mickey Hart, Billy Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir); blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, Bonnie Raitt; and jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval as fellow honorees. The Apollo will also receive a special Honors as an iconic American institution.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to collaborate with great artists and wonderful people throughout my career,” Coppola said in a press statement. “I have never stopped learning. There is no greater honor than to be included along with those who inspired me, who I looked up to, and who gave me encouragement when times were dim. I am grateful to the Kennedy Center, my beloved colleagues, to those who equate beauty and truth, and to all the children of the world.”
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host the ceremony December 8. The Honors will air Monday, December 23 on CBS Television Network and be streaming on Paramount+.
The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world, per the official press statement. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts. Whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures or television, each Kennedy Center Honoree has a unique place in the national consciousness and their influence has inspired audiences from all walks of life.
Honorees are confirmed by the executive committee of the Center’s board of trustees. The 2024 gala will be produced by Done+Dusted for a third year, in association with ROK Productions. The event will be executive produced by David Jammy, Elizabeth Kelly, and Jack Sussman. The show will be directed by Alex Rudzinski.
Coppola’s $120 million film “Megalopolis” will be released September 27 by Lionsgate and screen at IMAX theaters.
