David Letterman named Kennedy Center Honoree

David Letterman is among this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees, CBS announced Wednesday. The late-night veteran will be feted alongside actor Dustin Hoffman, bluesman Buddy Guy, ballet dancer Natalia Makarova and rock group Led Zeppelin at the 35^th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, at the gala, broadcast on CBS Dec. 26.

“With their extraordinary talent, creativity and tenacity, the seven 2012 Kennedy Center Honorees have contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in a news release.

He praised Letterman as “one of the most influential personalities in the history of television, entertaining an entire generation of late-night viewers with his unconventional wit and charm.”

Before the black-tie gala on Dec. 2, Letterman and his fellow honorees will be received at the White House by President Obama and the first lady, who herself has become something of a fixture on “The Late Show.”

Letterman joins a short and rarefied list of comedians who’ve received the honor, including Carol Burnett, Steve Martin, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. (No, Jay Leno isn’t one of them.)

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