Trump to host 48th Kennedy Center Honors event in December
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump announced the 2025 John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts honorees on Wednesday and that he will host this year's event on Dec. 7.
The 2025 honorees include actor Sylvester Stallone, stage actor Michael Crawford, country recording artist George Strait, singer Gloria Gaynor and the rock band Kiss.
"Over an extraordinary four-decade career, George [Strait] has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, amassed 60 number one hits and produced 33 platinum-certified albums -- more than any other living American," Trump said.
"He's believed by millions of people to just be as good as you can get, and he's beloved by hundreds of millions of people all over the world," Trump said, adding: "They call him the 'King of Country.'"
Trump described U.K. stage actor Crawford as the kind of actor who only wants to perform on Broadway and London stages.
The president said he attended Crawford's debut Broadway performance in 1967.
"He became an international sensation in the 1980s for his original portrayal of the 'Phantom of the Opera, one of the greatest ever,'" Trump said.
The president called Stallone a "very special guy" and a "real talent" who never received the credit he deserved for playing roles that Trump said no other actor could play.
He complimented Stallone for writing, producing and starring in "Rocky" when he couldn't find a suitable actor with the correct build to play a boxer.
"He ended up playing it because he couldn't find anybody else who fit the role," Trump said. "He's become a legend of the silver screen" and is a "great guy" with a "phenomenal wife and family."
The president then announced Gaynor as an honoree for her award-winning recording career as a disco artist and later as a gospel artist, followed by the rock band Kiss, which he called "one of the greatest rock bands of all time."
The annual Kennedy Center Honors event celebrates artists whose works have shaped the nation's and world's cultural landscapes and recognizes lifetime achievements in the arts.
This year's group is the 48th for the Kennedy Center Honors event, which Trump will host on Dec. 7.
"It's going to be a big evening," Trump told media. "I've been asked to host."
The president said he initially declined to host the event, but relented and agreed to do so.
It's unclear if he will emcee the event or if someone else will handle those duties, NBC News reported.
The president in February was voted board chairman for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after removing 18 board members who had been appointed by Democratic presidents.
The Kennedy Center has 29 board members, each of whom serves a six-year term.
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