George Clooney receives Kennedy Honor

The Hollywood star and Oscar-winning actor declared himself very moved when it was announced he would receive a Kennedy Center honor: "Growing up in a small town in Kentucky I could never have imagined that someday I'd be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors." His family is especially proud: "This is a genuinely exciting surprise for the whole Clooney family."

The actor, who is best known for comedies such as "The Naked Gun" or the fairytale classic "Mary Poppins", even described the award as the "thrill of my life." He personally knew the Kennedy family, whose name was adopted by the former National Cultural Center in Washington after the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in 1964.

The famous children's TV program was broadcast for the first time in the USA in 1969. Sesame Street makes use of iconic puppets, the Muppets, to educate and entertain children and adults through television. Particularly famous representatives of the Muppets are Kermit the Frog, his beloved Miss Piggy, and Big Bird, who made an appearance at the Washington awards ceremony

The Kennedy Center Honors recognize artists for their lifetime achievements. Lionel Richie had a good claim. He was one of only two musicians to hold the top spot in the charts for nine consecutive years. Over 100 million albums sold, an Oscar, and four Grammys. Richie truly was a world star when he received a Kennedy Center honor in 2017.

In the same year as actor Tom Hanks and musical legend Sting, Lily Tomlin was also honored for her life's work. The actress and comedian hasn't been idle since, recently taking the lead in the Netflix sitcom "Frankie and Grace." The Kennedy Center Honors are comparable to the British habit of knighting artists or, in France, awarding them a place in the Legion d'Honneur.

In 2011, the State Department invited the award winners — there are five honorees every year — to dinner. Actress Meryl Streep didn't miss the opportunity to take a selfie with then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Streep won the Oscar in 1983 for "Sophie's Choice" and has appeared in many hit films since, such as the movie adaptation of the ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!"

The winner of seven Grammys and singer of hits such as "What's Love Got To Do With It' and "You're Simply the Best," Tina Turner (second row, center) was born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee, in 1939. Growing up in poverty, she would go on to become a global superstar: a true American dream.

Standing ovations for Julie Andrews: The actress stood on the very balcony that George Clooney has been dreaming of. Andrews enchanted audiences with her performance as freedom-loving Maria in "The Sound of Music" (1965). The film had a lasting impact on the way people in the US, Canada, Latin America, and Japan imagined Austria. In German-speaking countries, the musical never became very famous.

Sean Connery, who became world-famous as James Bond, did not have a glamorous start in life. He had already left school at 13 to work as a day laborer and cement mixer. It wasn't until he represented Scotland in the 1950 Mr. Universe beauty contest in London that he was discovered for show business. A year after winning the award in Washington, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.