Kennedy Center Honors De Niro, Springsteen, Top Artists

(Left to right) Honorees Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Brooks and Dave Brubeck.

Political Washington is not solely saluting flags, but five of the nation's top artists with the Kennedy Center Honors this weekend.

A surprise list of star performers will honor singer Bruce Springsteen, actor Robert De Niro and comic genius Mel Brooks Sunday night during a show attended by President Barack Obama and other Washington and Hollywood power players, ABC New's Web site reports.

The Kennedy Center Honors is an award show to recognize individuals who have defined American culture through the arts as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy.

Other honorees include jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry.

"It's different than everything else," Springsteen, 60, said of the award Saturday night at a State Department dinner honoring the group. "We worked really hard for our music to be part of American life and our fans' lives. So it's an acknowledgment that you've kind of threaded your way into the culture in a certain way. It's satisfying."

The show will air nationwide Dec. 29 on CBS.