Francis Ford Coppola, Grateful Dead among those to be honoured at Kennedy Centre awards

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, rock band the Grateful Dead, blues rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval, and The Apollo Theatre will be honoured at this year's John F. Kennedy Centre awards, the centre announced on Thursday.

The Apollo, a storied theatre in New York City's Harlem neighbourhood, is the first organisation to be recognised by the centre, which typically honours individual artists or groups in its awards for lifetime achievements in the arts. The venue, known for debuting iconic Black artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

"The Apollo has guided us and the world forward by discovering and nurturing raw talent, moulding a unique cultural identity that defines American culture still today," said Kennedy Centre President Deborah F. Rutter in the centre's announcement.

The 47th annual Kennedy Centre Honours gala will be held on December 8 at the centre’s opera house in Washington. The ceremony is typically attended by the U.S. president and first lady. A host for the event has not been announced.

The gala will be broadcast on CBS on December 23 and will be available to stream on Paramount+ the next day, according to the centre's press release.

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