Last week-end, during a ceremony held at the Kennedy Center, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Twyla Tharp and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the Who were honored for lifetime achievements in the performing arts.

The celebration, which has now reached its 31^st edition, featured a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday at the State Department, along with appearances on stage by musician B. B. King and actor Denzel Washington, among others, the following day.

On December 30, the gala to be hosted at the Kennedy Center Opera House is scheduled to be broadcast on CBS.

Morgan Freeman, 71, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2005 for his role in „Million Dollar Baby,” was honored for his work on „Glory” and „Driving Miss Daisy” during Ms. Rice’s speech on Saturday.

George Jones, 77, an award-winning American country music singer from Texas, was celebrated for his 166 singles on Billboard’s country music chart, of which 14 have been No. 1 hits.

Pete Townshend, 63, and Roger Daltrey, 64, of the Who were praised for having played an active role in turning the spotlight on American blues music through their songs such as „My Generation.”

As for American dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, aged 67, she was honored for having created over 135 dances, in which ballet and modern dance harmoniously intertwine.

Barbra Streisand, 66, was the one to be honored last and was introduced by Queen Latifah, who stated that the diva was a role-model for the current generations of performers.