KENNEDY CENTER TO HONOR SINGER AND SONGWRITER MERLE HAGGARD; COMPOSER AND LYRICIST JERRY HERMAN; DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND DIRECTOR BILL T. JONES; SONGWRITER AND MUSICIAN PAUL MCCARTNEY; AND PRODUCER, TELEVISION HOST AND ACTRESS OPRAH WINFREY ON "THE 33RD ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS," TO BE BROADCAST DEC. 28 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

CBS Has Broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors Each Year Since Its Debut 33 Years Ago

Singer and songwriter Merle Haggard; composer and lyricist Jerry Herman; dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones; songwriter and musician Paul McCartney; and producer, television host and actress Oprah Winfrey will receive honors for 2010, on THE 33RD ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS to be broadcast Tuesday, Dec. 28 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The special has been broadcast on CBS each year since its debut.

In a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the 2010 Honorees will be saluted by great performers from Hollywood and the arts capitols of the world. Seated with the President and Mrs. Obama, the Honorees will accept the thanks of their peers and fans through performances and heartfelt tributes.

"The Kennedy Center celebrates five individuals who have spent their lives enriching, inspiring and elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world," said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. "The honesty of Merle Haggard's music and poetic lyrics has helped to shape the world of country music for nearly five decades. Jerry Herman's musicals rank him in the pantheon of Broadway's Golden Age and will keep audiences humming along for generations to come. The inventive style and imaginative artistry of Bill T. Jones has had an invaluable impact on the varied landscapes of dance and theater. Sir Paul McCartney is one of the most influential and successful songwriters and musicians of all time, whose work has continuously altered both the creation and perception of music all over the world. For more than 25 years, Oprah Winfrey has established one of the most innovative careers in the entertainment world, with distinctive accomplishments in television and film."

"THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS continues to be an evening like no other and one of the most prestigious telecasts of the television year," said Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. "The intersection of Washington, New York and Hollywood for this event speaks to the importance of the performing arts to all of us. We're proud of our longstanding partnership with the Kennedy Center and privileged each year to be part of a broadcast that honors those whose talents and achievements influence our arts, entertainment and culture in such a profound way."

The President and Mrs. Obama will receive the Honorees, members of the Artists Committee who nominate them and the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees at the White House prior to the gala performance taping on Dec. 5. The 2010 Kennedy Center Honors Gala concludes with a dinner dance in the Grand Foyer. The Kennedy Center Honors will be bestowed the night before the gala at a State Department dinner, hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The Honors recipients, recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts�whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television�are selected by the Center's Board of Trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.

Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser expressed the national cultural center's continued gratitude to the many individuals involved in the success of the Honors program. "In addition to recognizing some of the world's most treasured artists," he said, "the Kennedy Center Honors supports a wide variety of artistic programming, as well as the Center's educational and national outreach efforts."

George Stevens Jr., who created the Honors in 1978 with Nick Vanoff, will produce and co-write the show for the 33rd year. Stevens and his son, Michael Stevens, received Emmy Awards for the second consecutive year for Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy Special. The KENNEDY CENTER HONORS telecast has also been recognized with the Peabody Award for Outstanding Meritorious Service to Broadcasting and seven awards from the Writers Guild of America.

RATING: To Be Announced