President Obama shrugs off his sore throat to host Kennedy Center Honors with First Lady Michelle who stuns in a glittering gown

• The president and Mrs Obama hosted the five Kennedy Center honorees Sunday night at the White House for a reception before the gala 
• British musician Sting, who broke out as the frontman of The Police, is receiving the highest honor at the center tonight 
• Fellow musician Al Green, actors Tom Hanks and Lily Tomlin, and ballet dancer Patricia McBride are also receiving honors  

The president battled through a sore throat to host a reception for this year's Kennedy Center honorees at the White House on Sunday, before attending the gala with the first lady who stood out among the stars of Hollywood in a sparkling blush gown.

Comedian Stephen Colbert hosted the gala celebrating British rocker Sting, who came to fame as the lead singer of The Police, for influencing American culture through the arts. Tom Hanks, comedienne Lily Tomlin, singer Al Green and ballerina Patricia McBride were also honored.

The gala comes just one day after the president was rushed to the hospital to be treated for a sore throat, caused by acid reflux.

On the red carpet before the gala, Sting said that he was 'very happy with the trophy,' pointing to the prize's rainbow-colored laurel.

Scroll down for video 

Bedazzling: The president and first lady welcomed the Kennedy Center honorees to the White House Sunday night for a special reception before this year's gala

Looking happy and healthy: Mr Obama looked in perfect health, just a day after he was rushed to the hospital for a sore throat. Meanwhile, wife Michelle looked iconic in a ephemeral pale pink gown with sequin detailing 

Man of the evening: British musician Sting received the top honor at Sunday's gala for his contributions to American culture. He first rose to fame in the 1970s as the front man for rock group The Police. Pictured on the left at the White House reception on the right on the red carpet with wife Trudie Styler

Jealous, Mr President? Tom Hanks snagged the seat next to Mrs Obama at the gala, and appeared to lean in for a kiss while a none-to-happy President Obama looked on

The award winners from left to right: Soul singer Al Green , actor Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, Sting and comedienne Lily Tomlin receive a round of applause from President Obama at the White House reception

Comedian Stephen Colbert (pictured) hosted the three-hour ceremony, which will air on CBS on December 30 

'I'm not sure when I'll wear it again, but I think I look rather fetching in it,' he joked. 'It's still pretty overwhelming. I'm dealing with it quite well.'

The five honorees sat next to the president and first lady in the opera house as their contemporaries took the stage to salute their individual accomplishments.

Host Stephen Colbert started the night off on a light note, saying: 'Tonight, Washington puts the arts above politics, because no matter what party you belong to, everyone wants a selfie with Tom Hanks.'

Hanks certainly made for at least one entertaining image as he was seated next to Mrs Obama at the gala, and was pictured giving the first lady a kiss on the cheek while her husband looked less than thrilled. 

Soul-singer Al Green was the first to be celebrated, with band Earth, Wind and Fire playing a medley of his hits Can't Get Next to You and Love & Happiness. Jennifer Hudson sang a cover of his sogn Simply Beautiful, Usher took on the iconic Lets Stay Together and Marvis Staples finished the set with a rendition of Take Me to the River.

'Al Green can caress a lyric like no one else,' actress Whoopi Goldberg said of Green.

For Patricia McBride's tribute, prominent ballerinas took the stage to perform a medley of dances choreographed for the legend during her heydey with the New York City Ballet.

Kennedy Centre Honours reward Tom Hanks, Sting & more

Men of honor: Hanks and Sting pictured Sunday night at the White House, before the gala at the Kennedy Center. The gala will air on CBS on December 30 

Presidential praise: Despite his sore throat, President Obama gave a speech at the White House reception for the Kennedy Center honorees

In stitches: Ballerina Patricia McBride (left), Sting (center), and Lily Tomlin (right), laugh during a reception in their honor in the East Room of the White House

Chuckling: Al Green (left) and Tom Hanks (right) also struggled to contain themselves after Mr Obama cracked a joke

Class photo: The five recipients posed for a group photo Saturday night, as they attended a dinner hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department 

Among those who showcased their graceful moves on the stage was Misty Copeland, who is only the third black dancer to be named soloist with the American Ballet Theatre.

David Letterman led the outpouring of love for his friend, A-list actor Tom Hanks. The late night TV host had the audience in stitches when he took to the stage and shooed away host Colbert, soon to be his replacement on the Late Show, saying: 'Not yet'.

'We are honoring a man who was once upstaged by a volleyball,' Letterman said.

'Whenever Tom is a guest on our show, I always say, again?' joked Letterman, adding that he once asked Hanks to come on his show when he didn't have a movie to promote. 'And Tom said, "Dave, when people want to promote their movies, this is not the show they go on."'

Director Steven Spielberg and actor Martin Short also spoke up, with Spielberg calling Hanks the 'hardest working actor I know'.

Guests: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, attend the reception honoring the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors Honorees, in the East Room of the White House. Spielberg directed honoree Tom Hanks in the films as Saving Private Ryan,  Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal

Rock star night: Music legend Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfal also attended the White House reception. The 'Born to Run' singer received a Kennedy Center prize in 2009

Good job dad! Tom Hanks' son Colin Hanks (left), who is also an actor, attended the White House reception along with wife Samantha Bryant (right) 

Co-star support: Jane Fonda (center) wore a black dress with matching blazer to attend the White House reception Sunday night. She acted in the film '9 to 5' with honoree Lily Tomlin

'And he's also a good man. ...Tom's art comes completely from his heart,' Spielberg said. Spielberg has directed Hanks in the critically-accalimed films Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, and The Terminal.

Actress Jane Fonda volunteered to tribute her friend and '9 to 5' costar Lily Tomlin, reminiscing about the making of the film.

'I approached Lily and excitedly shared my vision and she immediately said, "No,"' Fonda joked.

Actresses Jane Lynch, singer Reba McEntire and Saturday Night Live castmember Kate McKinnon also highlighted Tomlin's storied comedy career at the gala.

'From the first time I saw her on Laugh In, I said this is the person I want to be best friends with,' McEntire said.

The tributes to Sting finished out the night, as Meryl Streep took to the stage to describe the singer's passion for music.

'He's still unsatisfied...thinking "what's next? What's left to discover?"' Streep said. 'In his search for his own truth, he whispers directly into our hearts.'

Lady Gaga performed a cover of If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, before singer Esperanza Spalding gave her take on the song Fragile.

Whoopi Goldberg (left) took to the stage to say a few kind words about honoree Al Green, while Usher (right) sang a rendition of the soul singer's hit Lets Stay Together 

American Ballet Theater's Misty Copeland was one of the dancers to salute legendary ballerina Patricia McBride. Copeland is only the third black dancer to be made a soloist with the ABT 

Bruce Springsteen, who Sting saluted at the same wards in 2009, paid tribute to his friend by singing I Hung my Head.

The crowd was brought to its feet as Bruno Mars finished out the set, with a medley of The Police hits So Lonely, Roxanne and Message in the Bottle.

CBS will broadcast the three-hour long gala on December 30.

Before the main event, the president and first lady welcomed Sting and the four other honorees to the White House for dinner, where Mr Obama praised the legends of music, acting and dance. 

It seems the doctor prescribed the president some rest and relaxation for this sore throat yesterday since Mr Obama admitted spending Saturday evening watching Hanks' classic film Big - about a preteen boy who turns into a fully-grown man overnight.

'That's a great movie,' the president said. 'I got kind of choked up.'

Director Steven Spielberg (left) and Late Show host David Letterman (right) praised Tom Hanks' acting at the Sunday night awards gala 

Comedian Martin Short (left) also cracked a few jokes in Hanks' honor on Sunday. Pictured above with Letterman (right)

Mr Obama also joked about how envious he is of Sting's stage name.

'POTUS is a pretty good nickname, but let’s face it, it’s not as cool as Sting,' he said. 'I kind of wish I was called Sting. But I’m stuck with POTUS.'

The president turned serious when he praised the five artists for their individual artistic contributions.

'Songs and dance and film express our triumphs and our faults, our strengths, our tenderness in ways that sometimes words simply cannot do.

'And so we honor those who have dedicated their lives to this endeavor. Those who have tapped into something previously unspoken, or unsung, or unexpressed.

'Those who have shown us not simply who they are, but who we all are. Those who are able to tap into those things we have in common, and not just those things that push us apart,' Mr Obama said.

The president went on to say that the honorees 'helped us better understand ourselves and each other.

Lady Gaga, pictured on the red carpet with boyfriend Taylor Kinney, sand Sting's If I Ever Lose My Faith In You at the gala Sunday night 

Bruno Mars closed out the show with a medley of The Police hits Roxanne, So Lonely and Message in a Bottle. Pictured back stage at the Kennedy Center

'And, as President Kennedy expressed, they've helped us center our purpose as a nation, and together reflect the quality of our society. For that, we cannot thank them enough,' the president finished.

Top performers and power players from Hollywood, Broadway and Washington packed the East Room to honor the five artists Sunday night.

Among those pictured filling the seats were director Steven Spielberg, actors Sam Waterson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane oOnda, Martin Short, and rock star Bruce Springsteen.

Secretary of State John Kerry also attended the event, along with former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, of California.

The night's top honoree, Sting, broke out in 1978 with his band The Police with such hits as 'Roxanne' and later 'Every Breath You Take' before starting his solo career. He has been performing for four decades and has won 16 Grammy Awards.

Sting, 63, said he was bewildered by the honor.

Actress Meryl Streep honored Sting at the gala, saying: 'He's still unsatisfied...thinking "what's next? What's left to discover?" In his search for his own truth, he whispers directly into our hearts.'

Honoree Al Green grins on the red carpet as he enters the Kennedy Center Opera House for Sunday night's gala

Tom Hanks and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, pose for pictures on the red carpet before the event 

Sam Moore and Mavis Staples attend the 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors where they supported honoree Al Green 

The President and Mrs Obama walk into the East Room on Sunday night for the reception to honor the Kennedy Center prize winners 

'You know, for an Englishman to receive this reward, it's not unique, but it's rare, and I take that pretty seriously,' he said. 'To come to this country in 1978 with no prospects at all and then to end up here with the secretary of state, it's quite a journey. So I don't take it for granted.'

Filmmaker George Stevens Jr., who created the Kennedy Center Honors and produces the show each year, said Hanks, 58, stands apart as 'one of the great actors of his generation or any generation.'

Hanks created powerful characters in films that include Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan and 2013's Captain Phillips.

'Each one was shaped by the same man's imagination,' Stevens said. 'Each one has clarity, honesty, humor, humanity, and each one has a deep sense of hope and aspiration.'

Hanks joked that a mistake must have been made in the choice for a fifth honoree.

Classic rocker: Sting walks into the East Room on Sunday, escorted by a female member of the military

Ladies of the evening: Lily Tomlin gasps in disbelief as she makes her grand entrance into the East Room. The comedienne is best known for work acting in movies like '9 to 5' with Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. Patricia McBride on the right. McBride spend her career dancing with the New York City Ballet under the tutelage of the legendary choreographer George Balanchine

Hit-makers: 'Let's Stay Together' soul singer Al Green (left) was another of the prize winners honored at the White House Sunday night. Tom Hanks (right) earned his Kennedy Center honor acting in such critically-acclaimed films as Forrest Gump, The Green Mile and Philadelphia

'A lot of times in the trophy season, it's for work you did a few months ago,' he said. 'This is the work I started in 1981, so it all works out OK.'

Tomlin, 75, made her career in comedy after moving to New York City as a waitress. Soon she would make her TV debut on 'The Garry Moore Show' in 1966 and within a few years joined the cast of 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In' with her popular characters of Ernestine, the telephone operator, and Edith Ann, a little girl.

Tomlin went on to create memorable comedy specials, Broadway shows and movie roles, including '9 to 5' with Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton.

Tomlin said she couldn't believe she was receiving the Kennedy Center Honors. 'I've never been privy to the insider's circle, but here I am,' she said.

Green, 68, was born to sharecroppers in Arkansas. He made his name touring the gospel circuits of the South and now is one of the defining voices of Memphis soul. His hits include 'Let's Stay Together,' ''Take Me to the River' and 'Here I Am (Come and Take Me).' His songs have been covered by Annie Lennox, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen and even Obama, who has famously sung a few lines from 'Let's Stay Together.'

McBride, 72, has forged her artistic career in dance. She joined the New York City Ballet at 16 after studying under the great choreographer George Balanchine and quickly became the company's youngest principal dancer at 18. It's a role she would hold for 28 years, performing around the world. She gave her farewell performance in 1989 and was showered with nearly 13,000 roses.

Dancer Edward Villella hailed McBride as 'one of our great national dance treasures.'

Now, McBride works to pass on Balanchine's legacy as a teacher for young dancers. She and her husband, dancer Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, run the Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina.