President Barack Obama has just presented award-winning comedian Ellen DeGeneres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And she was visibly emotional:
President Obama is finishing out his second term by honouring some superstars from the worlds of film, TV, sports and music.
Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Redford and Bruce Springsteen are among the big names who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, USA's highest civilian honour, at the White House.
Cicely Tyson, Diana Ross, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan are also among the 21 medal recipients, as were Bill and Melinda Gates, sports broadcaster Vin Scully, and "Saturday Night Live" creator and producer Lorne Michaels.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who have "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
And here is the full event:
President Obama is finishing out his second term by honouring some superstars from the worlds of film, TV, sports and music.
Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Redford and Bruce Springsteen are among the big names who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, USA's highest civilian honour, at the White House.
Cicely Tyson, Diana Ross, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan are also among the 21 medal recipients, as were Bill and Melinda Gates, sports broadcaster Vin Scully, and "Saturday Night Live" creator and producer Lorne Michaels.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who have "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
And here is the full event: