Trump announces five honorees for 2025 Kennedy Center Honors

President Donald Trump announced the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors on Wednesday, naming five performers whose work spans country, film, rock, Broadway and pop—George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. Trump, who has positioned himself as the center’s chairman, said he would host the December ceremony and outlined plans to renovate the Performing Arts Center’s infrastructure, describing the project as returning the venue to “crown jewel” status and signaling its role in the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations. The ceremony is scheduled to air on CBS and stream later, continuing a long-standing national tradition of recognizing lifetime achievement in the arts.

The announcement marks a dramatic shift in the Kennedy Center’s leadership and operating approach. Earlier this year, Trump fired a broad slate of trustees appointed under the prior administration and installed allies who support his vision for the center. He has portrayed the overhaul as a return to the center’s traditional mission, saying the center had fallen into disrepair and promising a modernization that would restore prestige and grandeur. He has also floated the...