George Lucas to get nod for contribution to the arts at Kennedy Center gala with Carole King and the Eagles among other honourees
He's had a lasting impact on pop culture, and now Star Wars creator George Lucas has been awarded one of America's highest honors for his contribution to the arts.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced on Wednesday that Lucas, 71, is one of the recipients of this year's prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
Groundbreaking actresses Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson, singer-songwriter Carole King, rock band the Eagles and acclaimed classical conductor Seiji Ozawa will also receive the honors at a gala performance in Washington on December 6.
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Influential: Star Wars creator George Lucas has been honored for his contribution to the American arts by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The award is given to artists who have influenced American culture through the arts.
Lucas, who also created the Indiana Jones films and has been hailed as a visual effects pioneer, called the award a 'great honor.'
'The honorees over the history of the awards are huge, and it's great to be in the same company,' he said.
The writer-director will received the award just weeks before the US release of new Star Wars film The Force Awakens. The highly-anticipated film will be the first Star Wars movie without Lucas' involvement.
Songwriter: Singer Carole King performs in Los Angeles in May
Songwriter Carole King, 73, said she was 'humbled and grateful' to receive the award.
'I've been very lucky to be able to do the work I love for so many years,' she said.
'And it's even more rewarding to know that what I do has touched the lives of so many people,' the Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow hit maker said.
Seventies rockers the Eagles were also hailed by the Kennedy Center, which called them one of the most influential bands of all time.
California sound: Don Henley, left, and Glenn Frey of the Eagles, on stage in Los Angeles in January
The Hotel California singers, who have sold more than 120 million records worldwide, said they were grateful their music had helped to bring people together.
'Popular music is one of America's greatest exports - a bridge that spans geographical and cultural boundaries,' the band said.
'We are truly humbled to have been able to be a part of this global connection.'
Actresses Cicely Tyson and Rita Moreno were also honored by the Kennedy Center.
Trailblazing: Actresses Cicely Tyson, left, and Rita Moreno, right, were among the honourees
Broadway star, actress and singer Moreno, 83, is no stranger to awards, having won an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys and a Grammy over the course of her career. But she said none of it would have been possible without her mother, who moved the family from Puerto Rico to New York when the performer was a child.
'You could say it's the American dream come true,' Moreno said of the honor.
'We were on welfare for a while. It's the immigrant story. It's also the American dream story. I am just absolutely beside myself with the recognition that I'm getting, I guess, for battling it out and hanging on.'
Actress Tyson, 90, who is known for playing strong African-American women on stage and screen, said the news of the award left her speechless.
'During my career I certainly questioned whether or not I was doing the right thing when I turned down roles,' she said.
'Needless to say there were very few roles over the years written for women. I had to wait for it not only to be written for a woman but for a black woman. And then of course the longer I live, I became involved in ageism. So there's always been that challenge.'
Conductor: Classical music director Seiji Ozawa said he was 'super happy' to receive the award
Superstar classical conductor Seiji Ozawa, 79, who began conducting after injuring his hand in a rugby accident as a teen, was also honored.
Ozawa said he was honored to join some of the other heroes of classical music conducting who have received the honor, including John Williams, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Bernstein.
'Big names. I feel very honored that they are going to give it to me,' he said. 'I'm super happy.'
The Kennedy Center awards gala will be broadcast on December 29 on CBS.
Here's a look at this year's honorees:
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