On Sunday, December 4, politicians gathered with celebrities for a star-studded event at the Kennedy Center Opera House. This event was held in Washington D.C., and the honorees were awarded for their lifetime achievements in the arts. The honorees were actor George Clooney, Christian singer and songwriter Amy Grant, R&B and soul singer Gladys Knight, composer and conductor Tania Leo, and the band U2, with its member Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.

Additionally, actors and performers such as Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and Eddie Vedder were also in attendance. President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Harris and second gentleman Douglass Emhoff were also in attendance. Other politicians in attendance were senators Mitt Romney, Mike Lee, Joe Manchin and Patrick Leahy. Nancy Pelosi, recently retired as Speaker of the House, was in attendance with her husband Paul who received a standing ovation for recovering from being hospitalized a month ago after being attacked during a home invasion.

As would be expected, the honorees seemed overwhelmed with the honor. Amy Grant talked about the “shared joy” of the experience while Gladys Knight said President Biden felt like a “brother” to her, and received an award from him “resonated” with her most deeply. George Clooney, attending with his wife, Amal, an internationally acclaimed human rights attorney, was clearly happy to be there, but in response to journalist questions on a future he may have in politics, seemed to veto the idea, adding, “We have a nice life.” Julia Roberts, Clooney’s costar and friend since their days on the set of Ocean’s 11, honored him by wearing a custom-made Moschino dress emblazoned with images of the Oscar-nominated actor and philanthropist.

Clooney was moved to tears hearing his father, the journalist Nick Clooney, speak of how Clooney had responded to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. by saying he no longer wanted any of his toy guns. Vedder, of Pearl Jam, honored U2 by performing a tribute song, even going so far as to lean forward into the microphone, a signature move of Bono’s, the lead singer of U2. 

Although the event was apolitical and bipartisan, Borat actor Sasha Baron Cohen fell into his Borat character by critiquing rapper Kanye West and former president Donald Trump on some antisemitic views. Cohen, who is Jewish, also performed a parody of the honoree band U2’s famous song, “With or Without You,” to the words, “With or Without Jews.” Reception to his surprising routine was mixed. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were seen laughing, but the president’s sister Valerie, in response to Cohen’s performance, only diplomatically said, “I liked U2.” 

U2, among other winners, were not unexpected recipients of the awards, as they’ve been participating in philanthropic work for years while also performing hit albums. Nikita Gupta (11) said, “My mom told me about these awards because she was reading about them the other day. They’re actually more interesting that I would’ve expected, and there were a lot of unexpected award winners.”