2016 Kennedy Center honorees include Al Pacino, the Eagles

The Kennedy Center on Thursday announced its 2016 honorees, which include Academy Award winner Al Pacino and folk-rock legend James Taylor, who performed at last year’s ceremony.

Other recipients of the honor include Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, rock band the Eagles and blues singer Mavis Staples.

{mosads}The honorees, recognized for “their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts,” will be lauded at an event in December with performers from around the world.

“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates the spectacular talents of artists whose brilliance has left a lasting impact on our society,” chairman David M. Rubenstein said.

“These Honorees represent what is possible when creativity is not just cultivated, but unleashed.”

Rubenstein touted each of the recipient’ accomplishments.

“Martha Argerich’s distinguished performances have spanned the globe and over the last six decades have earned her world recognition as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th and 21st centuries; the Eagles’ ambitiously themed albums epically merged the American West and rock ’n’ roll, paving the way for unconventional music makers and artists to come,” he said.

“Al Pacino has embodied some of the most powerful characters of our time on both the stage and silver screen; Mavis Staples’s unmatched gospel and rhythm and blues masterpieces span 60 years and even served as a musical backdrop to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign for civil rights; and James Taylor’s warm baritone and poetic lyrics embody the art of songwriting, making him one of the defining musical figures of our time and his music the soundtrack of our country.”

Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter commended the honorees for their commitment to their crafts and the cultural contributions they’ve made.

“These Honorees have each played a unique role in shaping America’s artistic landscape with their work, expressing their creativity in ways that pushed the boundaries of what art can do, and what it can mean,” Rutter said.

The Kennedy Center had named the Eagles as 2015 honorees but postponed because of band member Glenn Frey’s health issues. Frey died earlier this year.

Taylor, a long-time Democratic donor, also performed during last year’s Honors for Carole King.