Donald Trump Names Kennedy Center Honors Nominees: Full List
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his first slate of Kennedy Center Honors nominees as the institution's new chairman, naming country music star George Strait, "Rocky" actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS, and actor-singer Michael Crawford. Trump also said he will host this year's awards program.
During his first term, Trump avoided the ceremony after several artists vowed not to attend in protest. Now, as chairman, he has replaced the center's board of trustees with loyalists.
On Truth Social Tuesday, Trump teased a possible name change for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, jokingly referring to it as the "Trump/Kennedy Center." He promised to restore the venue to "the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment," noting that renovations were underway. "It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!" he wrote.
The Kennedy Center said in a statement it was "honored" to host Trump, who will be making his third visit since January, and hinted at an upcoming construction announcement. The center credited Trump's "advocacy" for planned renovations aimed at restoring its "prestige and grandeur," and said it was excited to reveal "this year's INCREDIBLE slate of Kennedy Center Honorees."
Trump has long been critical of the venue's condition, calling it in "tremendous disrepair" during a March visit. The process for selecting this year's honorees remains unclear; traditionally, a bipartisan advisory committee has made the picks. The Kennedy Center did post a teaser on social media: "Coming Soon ... A country music icon, an Englishman, a New York City rock band, a dance Queen and a multi-billion dollar Actor walk into the Kennedy Center Opera House ..."
Trump has previously floated honoring singer-songwriter Paul Anka and Stallone, one of three actors he named as Hollywood ambassadors earlier this year. Anka was once slated to perform at Trump's 2017 inauguration but withdrew at the last moment.
Established in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have recognized a wide array of artists, with presidents of both parties traditionally attending the ceremony—regardless of politics. In 2017, after honoree Norman Lear refused to attend a White House celebration over Trump's proposed arts funding cuts, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump skipped the event and stayed away for the rest of his first term.
Since returning to office, Trump has taken a more hands-on approach—naming himself chairman, reshaping the board, asserting control over programming, and vowing to end events featuring drag performers. These moves have prompted backlash, with several artists canceling appearances, including the producers of Hamilton, actor Issa Rae, singer Rhiannon Giddens, and author Louise Penny.
In July, House Republicans added an amendment to a spending bill—signed by Trump—to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House after Melania Trump, though the change has not been made. Separately, a House proposal to rename the entire center after Trump drew criticism from Maria Shriver, niece of President Kennedy, who called it "insane."
Honorees receive a rainbow-ribboned medallion symbolizing the diversity of the performing arts. In April, the center changed its exterior lighting from a long-standing rainbow pattern to a permanent red, white, and blue display.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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