Kennedy Center to honor Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola, Grateful Dead

July 18 (UPI) -- Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt and Arturo Sandoval were named 47th Kennedy Center honorees Thursday. The Apollo Theater will also be recognized during the December ceremony.

Coppola, known for his work on The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, also produces wine and runs the literary magazine Zoetrope: All-Story.

Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart expressed a similar sentiment, calling the distinction "the highest reaches for artistic achievement."

The band has already been recognized with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions.

Bonnie Raitt has been awarded 13 Grammy awards and has made a name for herself as a social activist, while Arturo Sandoval received President Obama's Presidential Medal of Freedom among numerous other awards. Both expressed feeling deeply honored to be among those receiving Kennedy Center acknowledgment.

"Our honorees this year have each played an invaluable, pioneering role in developing American culture," said Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter. "Not with one act of art but with their decades-long devotion to pushing creative boundaries. In December, we are thrilled to pay special tribute to New York City's renowned Apollo Theater on its 90th anniversary. Throughout its history, The Apollo has guided us and the world forward by discovering and nurturing raw talent, molding a unique cultural identity that defines American culture still today."

Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah, and Dionne Warwick were honored at the annual event in 2023.

The ceremony will premiere on CBS on Dec. 23.