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Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick and Bee Gees’ singer Barry Gibb are among the musicians being honored this week at the 46th Kennedy Center Honors event. Stars like Missy Elliott, Chloe Bailey, Michael Bublé, Little Big Town and Dove Cameron will be on hand to pay tribute to this year’s honorees, and you can watch the entire thing on TV and online.
How to Watch Kennedy Center Honors 2023 on TV: Air Date, Time
The annual event, which recognizes musicians, actors, writers and artists for their “lifetime artistic achievements,” airs this Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. ET / PT on CBS. You can watch the Kennedy Center Honors on TV through your local CBS affiliate.
One of these digital antennas from Amazon will also pick up a local signal of CBS if you don’t have cable.
Airing from Washington, D.C., the event will be hosted by former honoree Gloria Estefan for the third time.
How to Stream Kennedy Center Honors 2023 Online
You can also watch the Kennedy Center Honors without cable through Paramount+. The streaming service will have a live feed of the Kennedy Center event on Dec. 27 and you’ll also be able to watch it back on-demand after the original air date.
A subscription to Paramount+ usually starts at $5.99/month, but the streamer is currently offering a month-long free trial with promo code BUTTERS (tied to a new South Park special). Use the free trial to watch the Kennedy Center Honors show online for free.
Kennedy Center Honors 2023: Performers, Honorees
This year’s Kennedy Center honorees are actor Billy Crystal; opera singer Renée Fleming; singer, songwriter, producer, and Bee Gees founder Barry Gibb; rapper and actress Queen Latifah; and legendary singer Dionne Warwick.
Chloe Bailey, Cynthia Erivo and Gladys Knight will honor Warwick at the gala, with Bailey performing “Walk On By,” Erivo performing “Alfie,” and Knight singing “Say a Little Prayer.” Missy Elliott and Rapsody, meantime, will honor Queen Latifah.
Fleming’s tribute will feature Dove Cameron performing “The Light in the Piazza” (from the musical of the same name), while Tituss Burgess and Christine Baranski will join the Jubilation Choir to perform “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel.
Newly-crowned whiskey maker Michael Bublé will lead a tribute for Gibb, singing “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” Country band, Little Big Town, will sing the Bee Gees’ “Lonely Days, Lonely Nights,” and Ben Platt will fete the audience with “Nights on Broadway.” The tribute will also feature Ariana DeBose performing a disco medley of the Bee Gees’ greatest hits, including “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Stayin’ Alive.”
This year’s honorees were selected by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts based on recommendations from former Honorees, the artistic community, the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, and the general public. The Center says the recipients have “each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts.”
Watch the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors on CBS on Dec. 27 and stream the show online through Paramount+ here.
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