Tony Award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald also performed during the event which also honored actor Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt, and Sesame Street, as Playbill reports.
Two-time Grammy winner and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors recipient LL Cool J hosted the 42nd annual ceremony.
“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates icons who, through their artistry, have left an indelible stamp on our collective cultural consciousness,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in a previous statement.
“Earth, Wind & Fire’s hooks and grooves are the foundation of a seminal style that continues to shape our musical landscape; Sally Field has brought us unforgettable characters, both joyous and poignant, for more than five decades; Linda Ronstadt is the defining voice of a generation, spanning genres, languages, and continents; Sesame Street continues to revolutionize how children and adults learn about our world, and Michael Tilson Thomas goes far beyond keeping score – he has shaped American music and musical institutions for the 21st century.”
Erivo recently portrayed Harriet Tuban in the 2019 biopic, Harriet.