Al Pacino Honoured With Medal By President Obama

Al Pacino and country singer Mel Tillis have been honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama for their contributions to American culture.

The stars were among the 17 honorees feted at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Monday (13Feb12) - Oscar winner Pacino and Tillis joined sculptor Martin Puryear and pianist Andre Watts as the recipients of the 2011 National Medal of Arts, while award-winning poet John Ashbery and pianistauthor Charles Rosen were among those presented with the National Humanities Medal.

Obama told the guests of honour, "We are told we are divided as a people, then suddenly the arts have the power to bring us together. You... bring new possibilities to all of us. That's a special trait".