Bruce Springsteen and Gladys Knight received the National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden on Tuesday, March 21, the highest honor given to artists by the United States government.
Besides Springsteen and Knight, the U.S. government also honored Jose Feliciano, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling, artist Judith Francisca Baca, radio station owner Fred Eychaner, the International Association Of Blacks In Dance, the Billie Holiday Theatre, and painter Antonio Martorell Cardona.
They were supposed to be honored in 2021, but the ceremony was canceled due to COVID-19.
First lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also attended the ceremony.
"We're a nation, a great nation, in large part because of the power of the arts and humanities. That's stamped into the DNA of America," Biden said during the ceremony in the East Room. "Today … (we) continue the legacy of awarding two of our nation's highest honors to 23 extraordinary Americans."
(Photo: Danny Clinch)
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