Bette Midler, Berry Gordy set for 44th Kennedy Center Honors

July 21 (UPI) -- Entertainer Bette Midler, Motown titan Berry Gordy and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels were named 44th Kennedy Center Honor recipients Wednesday.

Also slated to be recognized for their career achievements are opera great Justino Diaz and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

"The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates luminaries whose art and creativity have enriched us beyond measure," Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement.

"With his distinguished, deeply resonant voice and storied operatic career, Justino Díaz, stood on the stages of the world's great opera houses and today stands as one of the greatest bass-baritones of our time; visionary music producer and songwriter Berry Gordy brought the quintessential soulfulness of Detroit into every home in America, elevating the Motown sound to become a national treasure; Lorne Michaels created the most enduring 'must-see television' with Saturday Night Live, a show that is both mirror and muse for life in America; an artistic tour de force and America's Divine Miss M, Bette Midler has enjoyed an unrivaled and prolific career, entertaining millions with her wondrous voice and trademark comedic wit; and songstress Joni Mitchell, blends raw, deeply personal lyrics with her stunningly ethereal voice in 19 albums, becoming one of the most influential singer-songwriters and cultural figures in 20th-century popular music."

The artists will be the focus of a celebration in December that will be filmed and will air as a 2-hour special on CBS and Paramount+