Trevor Hunnicutt, Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Joe Biden honors Bette Midler and Joni Mitchell at Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors. This brings back the presidential participation in an annual ceremony that was largely skipped by Republican Donald Trump.

Singer Justino Díaz and Motown founder Berry Gordy round out the group of artists selected by the Kennedy Center for top honors this year at a show that had been upended by politics and the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden, a Democrat that took over Trump’s office in January, will have a ceremony at the White House for five of his honorees ahead of the Washington event. Trump has not held such a reception in his four years of office. He also did not attend Kennedy Center’s show.

The absence of Trump was generally accepted by the arts community. Singer Cher, a 2018 honoree and outspoken Trump critic said she would have needed to accept it in a restroom if Trump was there.

These awards honor a lifetime’s achievement in performing arts.

Midler has been a performer and actor, and she was nominated for Emmy, Tony, Tony, and Golden Globe Awards. She also won Grammy and Tony nominations.

Singer-songwriter Mitchell, a native Canadian known for songs such as “Both Sides, Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi,” is a multi-Grammy recipient and an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Michaels, a native Canadian, was also the creator and executive producers of “Saturday Night Live,” NBC’s long-running sketch comedy program.

Diaz is a Puerto Rican bass-baritone singer who has been performing with various opera companies all over the globe.

Gordy was a Detroit songwriter and producer who founded Motown Records. This label became synonymous with jazz and blues music that was popularized by Black musicians like Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, as well as the careers of Lionel Richie. Gordy is also a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.