Celebrities in the White House: US President Joe Biden received the Hollywood star George Clooney, the rock band U2 and the soul singer Gladys Knight at the government headquarters in Washington. The artists were to be honored for their lifetime achievements by the renowned Kennedy Center in Washington in the presence of Biden. Pop singer Amy Grant and composer Tania Leon were also among the honorees and were guests of Biden in the White House before the ceremony.

The US President paid tribute to the artists' achievements. He jokingly introduced Clooney as "Amal Clooney's husband". Amal Clooney is a prominent human rights lawyer.

Named after former President John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Center is the largest cultural facility in the US capital. Past honorees include Meryl Streep, Aretha Franklin, Robert De Niro, George Lucas, Tom Hanks and Sting. Last year, singer Joni Mitchell and actress Bette Midler received awards, among others.