Frank Sinatra received Kennedy Center Honors in 1983.
The 1983 class was the sixth group recognized by the Kennedy Center for major contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Sinatra was honored alongside dancer-choreographer Katherine Dunham, director Elia Kazan, actor James Stewart, and composer-critic Virgil Thomson.
The ceremony took place in Washington, D.C., during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Sinatra’s honor recognized a career spanning popular singing, jazz-influenced performance, film acting, and recordings that helped define American entertainment. It is often confused with his later Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he received in 1985, or his Congressional Gold Medal, authorized in 1997 and presented posthumously in 1998.