Meryl Streep, Neil Diamond to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

Barbara Cook Meryl Streep Neil Diamond Sonny Rollins Yo-Yo Ma

12:17 pm, September 7th, 2011

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Meryl Streep leads this year’s list of Kennedy Center Honors recipients, a group that also includes Neil Diamond, Sonny Rollins, Yo-Yo Ma and Barbara Cook.

The organization made the announcements this morning.

President and Mrs. Obama will host the five performers at a White House reception on December 4, followed by the event at the Kennedy Center itself.

It will be televised on December 27.

16-time Academy Award nominee Streep released a statement, saying, “I am deeply honored by this news, and wish my mother and father were alive to hear it!”

Diamond, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, is known for dozens of hits like “Sweet Caroline.”

Theater soprano Cook, renowned cellist Ma and jazz virtuoso Rollins round out the musician-heavy group.

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