Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor have been honoured for their contribution to the cultural life of the US.

The pair were among five names from the world of entertainment to be named winners of the 25th annual Kennedy Center Honors.

Actor James Earl Jones, dancer and actress Chita Rivera and Metropolitan Opera artistic director James Levine were also honoured.

Sir Paul was one of "most prolific and influential songwriters of our era", said Kennedy Center of Performing Arts chairman James Johnson.

Sir Paul continues to be a popular figure on the US music scene, with his last tour raking in $52.8m (�33.9m).

James Earl Jones is best known as the voice of Darth Vader

He also endeared himself to the American people after staging a charity concert to raise money for families of the victims of the 11 September tragedies.

Dame Elizabeth was described as "a luminous film actress who for nearly 60 years has been a Hollywood icon".

Broadway star

"We honour an actor whose extraordinary range and power have made him an American institution, (and) a brilliant musician who for three decades has led one of the world's foremost opera companies to unsurpassed artistic excellence," added Mr Johnson.

James Earl Jones is best known for his performances as the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.

He has also appeared in films such as Patriot Games and Sommersby.

Broadway star Chita Rivera, known for her role as Anita in West Side Story, was described as a musical theatre star "of the highest magnitude".

Elizabeth Taylor is a tireless campaigner for Aids

The five nominated people were chosen by a committee which included Hollywood stars such as Meryl Streep and Julie Andrews.

The aim of the Kennedy Center honours is to recognise "unique and extremely valuable contributions made to the cultural life" of the US.

The honours will be bestowed on the recipients by Secretary of State Colin Powell at a special dinner on 7 December.

The following evening the five will be recognised at a gala event attended by US President George Bush and a host of celebrities.