Reba McEntire makes a fifth trip to the Kennedy Center, this time to be honored alongside Cher

ABC/Image Group LAWhen this year’s Kennedy Center Honors premieres Wednesday on CBS, Reba McEntire will be honored alongside Cher and the creators of the Broadway musical Hamilton.

As Reba steps into the spotlight, she already has quite a history with the 41st annual, Washington, D.C.-based show.

“The Kennedy Center Honors is a huge thrill for me,” she reflects. “I have been a part of that show, helping four honorees getting honored: Dolly [Parton], Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett and Loretta Lynn. So to get to be a part of that, behind the scenes all that many times, was a lot of fun for me.”

Reba says the honor is a particular thrill because it takes the totality of your career into account.

“Now to be honored — it is the icing on the cake,” she admits. “Because it takes…everything you do in the entertainment business [into consideration] and your…philanthropic [efforts], what you do and help out people, it puts all that together and says, ‘Way to go!'” she says.  “So it’s a huge thrill for me to be a part of that list of people who’ve been honored in the past.”

You can watch The 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.