Oprah Winfrey received an award at the 33rd Kennedy Centre Honours last night (06.12.10).

The chat show host was one of five celebrities - along with Sir Paul McCartney, country singer Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman and dancer Bill T. Jones - honoured at the event held at the White House in Washington DC.

Oprah - who was accompanied by her long-term partner Stedman Grahan - and Paul held hands on stage as US President Barack Obama addressed the crowd, saying the recipients had "given the nation the extraordinary gift of the arts".

He added: "Although the honourees on this stage each possess a staggering amount of talent, the truth is, they aren't being recognised tonight simply because of their careers as great lyricists or songwriters or dancers or entertainers.

"Instead, they're being honoured for their unique ability to bring us closer together and to capture something larger about who we are - not just as Americans, but as human beings."

No Doubt performed the Beatles' track 'Hello, Goodbye' while stars such as Julia Roberts, Claire Danes, Steven Tyler, Angela Lansbury and Sidney Poitier attended the star-studded evening.

After Oprah received the award at the Kennedy Centre Honours, comedian Chris Rock joked "No one deserves this award more than Oprah Winfrey, but no one needs it less."