WASHINGTON — It is not easy to upstage the stars at an event whose headliners include U2, Gladys Knight and George Clooney. But one of the biggest ovations here at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night went to Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who made his first public appearance since he was brutally attacked in October at his home in San Francisco.
Standing beside Ms. Pelosi in a box above the crowd as the pair were acknowledged from the stage, Mr. Pelosi smiled and waved to the audience, which included President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and several senior lawmakers and Cabinet officials, as he made his public return in Washington this weekend at multiple events marking the 45th Kennedy Center Honors.
The black hat and single glove he wore were the only visible remainders of the skull fracture and hand injuries he is recovering from, after he was attacked by an assailant who investigators said had embraced far-right conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric online broke into the Pelosis’ home and attacked him while searching for Ms. Pelosi.
But he could be seen clapping along and swaying with Ms. Pelosi to performances, as the annual event, which pays tribute to lifetime achievements in the arts, paid homage to U2, which includes Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton; Ms. Knight; Mr. Clooney; Tania León, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer; and Amy Grant, the Christian singer-songwriter.
It was a highlight as a star-studded array of politicians, celebrities and dignitaries converged on Washington for the annual weekend of galas to set aside the town’s political maelstrom — unfinished must-pass legislation, the looming unknowns of a Republican-controlled House in January, possible investigations into the president’s administration and family — to toast the five honorees at the 45th Kennedy Center Honors.
After several years of disruptions — both political and epidemiological — this year’s ceremony, which will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 28, felt like a return to normal.
The weekend was unencumbered by pandemic restrictions: For the first time since the start of the pandemic, masks and testing were not required for the flagship events, and an intimate dinner for the honorees returned to its usual lavish setting at the State Department.
And after the awards show was shunned by former President Donald J. Trump during his four years in office, it once again drew the president: Mr. Biden attended, as did Ms. Harris and a phalanx of administration and congressional officials. In remarks at the White House at a reception for the honorees with Dr. Jill Biden, the first lady, Mr. Biden offered his own personal tributes to a group he said “embody the very spirit of ‘We the People.’”
Mr. Clooney, speaking to reporters afterward, said that “there was this, I think, wonderful connection, between the arts and government.” He noted that “some presidents embrace it more than others, as we’ve seen.”
The event also serves as a flagship fund-raising event for the center: A spokeswoman said on Sunday that it had raised more than $7 million, which was up from last year. And artists and officials alike said the lavish weekend made clear that the arts had returned to Washington, seizing the opportunity to emphasize the importance of culture to bring communities together and to address systemic inequities across the globe.
“This encouraging feeling that I have is that we all are just a bunch of powerful channelers of whatever we choose to feel,” Ms. Grant said in brief remarks on Saturday. She described the event in a separate interview as “what you’d dream your funeral would be like, but you don’t have to die.”
Ms. León reflected on her grandparents in Havana, and her first introduction to music, as she received the honor’s signature ribboned medallion on Saturday.
“Every time something happens to me such as this surprise, I invite all my ancestors’ spirits to come with me,” she said. “I owe it to them, they dreamed for us,” she added.
The most explicit acknowledgment of politics came as part of the tribute to U2, as Sacha Baron Cohen, the actor and comedian, appeared in the guise of his alter ego Borat, the satirical dimwitted, racist television reporter from Kazakhstan.
“I am told the president of US of A is here,” Borat said. “Where are you, Mr. Trump?”
During his appearance, Mr. Cohen noted the growing tide of antisemitism in the United States voiced recently by Kanye West, who dined recently with former President Trump.
The personal tributes are carefully chosen to surprise the five honorees each year.
As part of a tribute to U2, Jamala, a Ukrainian singer, joined Brandi Carlile and Hozier to perform the Irish rock band’s song “Walk On” and draw attention to her country’s ongoing war against Russia. Bono could be seen mouthing “wow” from the balcony as Eddie Vedder, the lead vocalist of the band Pearl Jam, delivered energetic performances of some of the band’s top songs.
The tribute to Mr. Clooney used a set styled to look like a bar, and featured some of his best-known friends, including Matt Damon, Richard Kind and Julia Roberts, who wore a black gown with photos of his face across her skirt. It was his father, Nick Clooney, who stood out as he reminisced about watching his son grow as an actor and philanthropist.
“George’s best and most important work is still ahead of him,” the elder Mr. Clooney said, recounting how his son, at the age of 7, had thrown away his toy guns after learning of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Ms. Grant’s children taped a video tribute to her, while Sheryl Crow and the Highwomen — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires — performed her songs.
Ms. León was honored by the Dance Theater of Harlem, which danced to “Tumbao,” one of her compositions, and the Kennedy Center Honors orchestra, which performed “Stride,” her Pulitzer-Prize winning composition.
And to honor Ms. Knight, Ariana DeBose performed “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and Garth Brooks sang “Midnight Train to Georgia.” He was returning the favor in a way: Ms. Knight performed when he was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2020. Patti LaBelle delivered an emotional tribute from the stage, leading a serenade of “That’s What Friends Are For.”
Ms. Knight, wearing a glittering floor-length silver gown on Saturday, appeared lost for words as she received her ribboned medal at the State Department dinner on Saturday evening. “Music does something to me,” she said, and then paused. “I want to sing,” she said, as the audience roared with approval.
Ms. Knight then began to sing, a cappella, “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me”: “I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs/But fate’s been kind, the downs have been few/I guess you could say that I’ve been lucky.”
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