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Digital Phablet – Donald Trump Announces Kennedy Center Honorees, Plans Renovations, and Hosts Ceremony.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump revealed the initial list of Kennedy Center Honors nominees during his tenure as chairman of the center. The honorees include country music icon George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone known for “Rocky,” singer Gloria Gaynor, the rock band Kiss, and actor-singer Michael Crawford. Trump will also serve as the host for the awards event.
Trump expressed his intention to completely overhaul the Kennedy Center’s infrastructure, aiming to transform it into a premier arts and culture destination in the U.S.
“We’re going to elevate it above anything it’s ever been,” the president stated, adding that the venue would play a prominent role in next year’s celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.
Even though Trump initially expressed reluctance to host the event, he eventually agreed when invited.
During his first presidential term, the Republican leader skipped the Kennedy Center Honors, citing protests from artists who refused to attend. This year, he took on the role of chairman, dismissing the former board of trustees and appointing supporters.
In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, Trump hinted that the center—formerly known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—might receive a new name and restore its former grandeur.
“Great nominations for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, oops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” Trump wrote. He further mentioned ongoing efforts to bring it “back to the absolute top level of luxury, glamour, and entertainment.”
He declared, “It had fallen into hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON MAKE A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!”
The Kennedy Center’s social media channels expressed their “honor” in meeting with Trump, who has visited the venue three times since January.
“Thanks to his advocacy, our beautiful building will undergo renovations to restore its prestige and grandeur,” the center stated.
During a March visit, Trump voiced concerns about the physical state of the building, describing it as being in “tremendous disrepair.”
He claimed to have been “about 98% involved” in selecting this year’s honorees, despite earlier statements about wanting more involvement. Trump also mentioned that he rejected numerous nominees for being “too woke,” a term used to describe left-leaning perspectives. Among those he praised are some of his favorites and prominent figures like George Strait, Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, and Kiss.
Historically, honorees have been selected by a bipartisan advisory group, with past recipients including George Balanchine, Tom Hanks, Aretha Franklin, and Stephen Sondheim. The Kennedy Center press office did not respond to inquiries about the selection process for this year’s winners.
A tweet from CSPAN highlighted this year’s honorees, including George Strait, Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, and Kiss, with a link to the full video.
Previously, Trump has mentioned giving singer-songwriter Paul Anka and actor Sylvester Stallone Kennedy Center Honors in the past. Stallone was among the stars Trump appointed as Hollywood ambassadors earlier this year. Anka was scheduled to perform “My Way” at Trump’s inaugural, but she withdrew last minute.
Since the awards’ inception in 1978, many distinguished artists across genres have been honored. Until Trump’s first term, presidents from both parties routinely attended the ceremony, regardless of their public opinions. For example, George W. Bush honored liberals like Barbra Streisand and Warren Beatty, while Clinton honored conservatives such as Charlton Heston.
In 2017, honoree Norman Lear declined to attend a White House event due to disagreements over arts funding cuts. Subsequently, Trump and Melania Trump also opted out during his first term. Notable vocal opponents to Trump, including Cher, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Sally Field, were among the honorees.
Since returning to office, Trump has taken a more aggressive stance on the Kennedy Center, involving himself directly in its leadership and programming decisions, and has even proposed halting events featuring drag performers.
Some artists have criticized these moves; notably, the producers of Broadway’s “Hamilton” withdrew plans to stage the show in 2026, citing Trump’s influence on the institution.
Additionally, in July, House Republicans included a provision in a spending bill signed by Trump to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House after Melania Trump. However, the official renaming has yet to occur. Democrat and Kennedy family member Maria Shriver called the idea of renaming the entire center after Trump “insane.”
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