When the Kennedy Center saluted its latest honorees Dec. 8, it was hard to decide what the biggest moment was.

Supreme Court associate justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke in praise of opera star Martina Arroyo. Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly was on hand for Herbie Hancock. (“I know, I’m surprised, too,” O’Reilly told a stunned audience.) Rufus Wainwright, Don Henley, Garth Brooks and Tony Bennett joined in a salute to Billy Joel.

Now CBS gets to draw on that and other material for its two-hour 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors special, which airs at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Besides Joel, Arroyo and Hancock, the honorees included Shirley MacLaine and Carlos Santana, with high-powered participants all around and President and Mrs. Barack Obama in the audience.

Harry Belafonte — himself a Kennedy Center honoree in 1989 — introduced the tribute to Santana, which also included an all-star band, Steve Winwood, Sheila E, Buddy Guy, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, vocalist Fher Olvera and more. Jazz stars such as Terrence Blanchard, Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea played in the Hancock segment, which later included Snoop Dogg.