Reba McEntire, Cher lauded at Kennedy Center Honors

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Cher and Reba McEntire were among this year's recipients at the 41st annual Kennedy Center Honors gala in Washington, D.C.

Philip Glass, Wayne Shorter and Hamilton collaborators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire were also honored on Sunday.

The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual, national celebration of the arts. Cher, McEntire, Glass and Shorter received lifetime achievement awards while the Hamilton co-creators were honored for their trailblazing and transformative work.

Gloria Estefan, who was honored last year, hosted the event.

Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to McEntire and performed her song "Fancy." Whoopi Goldberg and Amanda Seyfried spoke about Cher and Cyndi Lauper made a surprise appearance to perform Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "I Got You Babe" alongside Adam Lambert.

Miranda and Lacamoire performed "One Last Time" from Hamilton and Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Phillipa Soo performed "The Schuyler Sisters" from the musical.

"Art is the only thing that...it was just perfect," Cher said onstage.

"I know that I was born an entertainer to help heal hearts -- by singing, by acting, by letting people laugh. I love to help people with their problems when they come into a concert," McEntire said.

"I hope that they dust their off their feet and come in and have a good time, recharge their batteries, and when they leave they can pick their problems up that are just a little bit lighter when they go home," she continued. "That's what I was supposed to do in this life."

CBS will air a recording of the gala on Dec. 26.