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Led Zeppelin, Buddy Guy to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

Robert Plant / Photo by Getty Images

As the world awaits the results of Led Zeppelin’s mysterious Facebook countdown, which appears due to end tomorrow, the U.K. rockers can start clearing up space on their trophy shelves. Zeppelin and blues pioneer Buddy Guy are two musical acts named today by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as selected recipients of the 35th Kennedy Center Honors, according to the New York Times. Soviet-Russia-born ballerina Natalia Makarova, actors Dustin Hoffman, and late-night TV host David Letterman round out the rest of this year’s honorees.

Guy should also get an award for the humblest response to the news. “I said, No, it can’t be me,” the innovative and influential guitarist and singer told the Times yesterday from New Jersey, ahead of a gig with Jonny Lang. “I’m not that big.”

Though the night’s honorees are typically Americans, a few English musicians have gotten the green light in recent years, including Paul McCartney and the Who.

Zep, Guy, and the other honorees will receive their Honors medals at a State Department dinner on December 1. The next day, following a White House reception, they’ll give a performance at the Kennedy Center, which CBS will air on December 26 at 9 p.m. EST. Paul Ryan must be so stoked.