Oprah, Paul McCartney Hang With Obamas at Kennedy Center Honors

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by Peter Gicas | Mon., Dec. 6, 2010 7:41 AM

Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama

Gary Fabiano - Pool/Getty Images

For Oprah Winfrey, this will certainly go down as one of her ultimate favorite things.

The talk-show queen joined Paul McCartney and the first family in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night for the Kennedy Center Honors, the annual ceremony recognizing those who have helped define American culture through the arts.

So what other famous faces joined in the festivities?

MORE: Check out last year's honorees

Julia Roberts, John Travolta, Kid Rock, Barbara Walters, Jennifer Hudson, Sheryl Crow, Alec Baldwin, Steven Tyler were among those in attendance, along with the evening's hosts, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

Aside from Winfrey and McCartney, this year's honorees included Broadway composer Jerry Herman, director-choreographer Bill T. Jones and country music legend Merle Haggard.

While the president said during the reception that each recipient has "a staggering amount of talent," he pointed out that they were also being acknowledged "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."

The 33rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 28 on CBS.

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