Al Pacino To Receive National Medal Of Arts

(NewsCore) - President Barack Obama will present Hollywood star Al Pacino with the 2011 National Medal of Arts on Monday, the White House said in a statement.

The "Godfather" actor will be presented with the award at the White House along with seven other joint winners: artist Will Barnet, poet and author Rita Dove, curator and art collector Emily Rauh Pulitzer, sculptor Martin Puryear, country music singer Mel Tillis, pianist Andre Watts and the United Service Organization for their efforts in lifting the spirits of American troops.

Amartya Sen -- the Indian winner of the Nobel Prize for economics in 1998 for his studies on the roots of poverty -- will lead the list of nine 2011 National Humanities Medal winners, the White House said.

The ceremony will take place in the East Room at 1:45pm Eastern Time on Monday.