Oprah Winfrey Receives an Award at the White House

Oprah Winfrey Receives an Award at the White House:Oprah Winfrey was one of five celebrities -- along with Sir Paul McCartney, country singer Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman and dancer Bill T. Jones -- honored at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors at the White House last night.

Oprah and Paul held hands on stage as President Barack Obama addressed the crowd, saying the recipients had “given the nation the extraordinary gift of the arts.”

He added: “Although the honourees on this stage each possess a staggering amount of talent, the truth is, they aren't being recognized tonight simply because of their careers as great lyricists or songwriters or dancers or entertainers.

“Instead, they're being honored for their unique ability to bring us closer together and to capture something larger about who we are -- not just as Americans, but as human beings.”

No Doubt performed the Beatles’ track "Hello, Goodbye" while stars such as Julia Roberts, Claire Danes, Steven Tyler, Angela Lansbury and Sidney Poitier attended the star-studded evening.

After Oprah received the award at the Kennedy Centre Honors, comedian Chris Rock joked "No one deserves this award more than Oprah Winfrey, but no one needs it less.”