The late, great Otis Redding was selected in the live theater category.
Gwen Stefani at the star ceremony where Blake Shelton is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.Mark Von Holden
Gwen Stefani, Dr. Dre, Def Leppard, Darius Rucker and Toni Braxton are among 31 entertainment professionals who have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame selection committee, which is made up of past Walk of Fame honorees, selected the new honorees from among hundreds of nominations. They were ratified by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors on June 21.
Ellen K, KOST radio personality and chair of the Walk of Fame selection committee, announced the new honorees at a press conference on Monday (June 26), which was live-streamed from the rooftop of The Aster in Hollywood.
“The committee did an amazing job choosing these very talented people,” Ellen K (who is a Walk of Fame star recipient), said in a statement. “We can’t wait to see each honoree’s reaction as they realize that they are becoming a part of Hollywood’s history with the unveiling of their star on the world’s most famous walkway!”
Stefani’s husband, Blake Shelton, received his star on May 12, 2023. Dre has received numerous accolades in the past year, including a Primetime Emmy as a performer at The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. At the Grammys in February, he received the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Just last week, he received the inaugural ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award at ASCAP’s 2023 Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
While most of the music names who were chosen are set to receive stars in the recording category, the late, great Otis Redding (who died in a 1967 plane crash) was selected in the live theater category, and actress-singer Sheryl Lee Ralph was honored in the television category.
Michelle Yeoh, who earlier this year became the first Asian to win an Academy Award for best actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, was selected in the motion picture category, as was the late Chadwick Boseman, who was nominated for best actor posthumously for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. (Redding and Boseman are this year’s only posthumous Walk of Fame honorees.)
There is one dual entry, Raúl De Molina & Lili Estefan, who are co-hosts of the TV show El Gordo y La Flaca.
Dates have not yet been scheduled for these star ceremonies. Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire. Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced 10 days prior to the dedication on the official website.
The Walk of Fame, which originated in 1960, consists of more than 2,700 stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Los Angeles.
In addition to being one a world-famous tourist attraction, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a high-profile honor. “This is the only award that can be shared with the fans,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, told Billboard for a feature on the Walk of Fame was published in May. “The Oscar, the Grammy, the Tony is in somebody’s home. This one is on the sidewalk. [Fans] can sit next to it. They can pose with it. It’s an interactive award.”
Honorees are selected in six categories – motion pictures, television, live theater/live performance, radio, recording, and sports entertainment. Here are this year’s honorees, listed by category.
