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Steven Colbert Will Host This Year's Kennedy Center Honors

Colbert will help honor Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, and Sting, among others.

Steven Colbert will host this year's Kennedy Center Honors.
The Colbert Report's Steven Colbert will host this year's Kennedy Center Honors.

Emmy-winning television personality Stephen Colbert will host the 37th annual Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, December 7. The gala will be recorded by the CBS Network for a broadcast on Tuesday, December 30, at 9pm.

Colbert, who takes over as the host of CBS' The Late Show in early 2015, said in a statement, "I am stunned to be receiving a Kennedy Center Honor at such a young age. I thought it would be years before… I'm sorry. I’m being told I am HOSTING the Kennedy Center Honors. Oh…Well, I'm glad. That makes a lot more sense."

Tony Award winner Lily Tomlin, Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, Grammy winners Sting and Al Green, and former New York City Ballet principal dancer Patricia McBride have been named 2014's Kennedy Center Honors recipients.

"The Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world," Kennedy Center chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement. "Al Green’s iconic voice stirs our souls in a style that is all his own; Tom Hanks has a versatility that ranks him among the greatest actors of any generation; one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, Patricia McBride continues to carry forward her legacy for future generations; Sting’s unique voice and memorable songwriting have entertained audiences for decades; and from the days of her early television and theatrical appearances, Lily Tomlin has made us laugh and continues to amaze us with her acting talent and quick wit."