Last night (December 2nd), surviving LED ZEPPELIN members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were awarded the US's highest award for those who influenced American culture through the arts, the Kennedy Honor, at a dinner event at the White House. The hard rock legends joined other honorees, comedian and television David Letterman, actor Dustin Hoffman, Chicago bluesman BUDDY GUY and ballerina Natalia Makarova.

In his tribute to the band, Barack Obama said: "When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming.

There was this singer with a mane like a lion and a voice like a banshee, a guitar prodigy who left people’s jaws on the floor, a versatile bassist who was equally at home on the keyboards, a drummer who played like his life depended on it.

And when the Brits initially kept their distance, Led Zeppelin grabbed America from the opening chord. We were ready for what Jimmy called songs with a lot of light and shade.

It’s been said that a generation of young people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a Zeppelin album ... but even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing - and we all I think appreciate the fact - the Zeppelin legacy lives on.

We honour Led Zeppelin for making us all feel young, and for showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock!"

Check out video of Obama's speech below:

The entire event will be broadcast December 26th on CBS. Further details at this location.