Topline
Actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, and rock band Kiss were named as the first recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors since President Donald Trump took over the Washington, D.C., performing arts center in February.
President Donald Trump announced the first batch of Kennedy Center honorees since he took over as chairman in February. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump named “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone, one of the three actors Trump appointed as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood who has previously described the president as the “second George Washington,” as one of this year’s honorees.
The other honorees are country singer George Strait, whom Trump said has sold more than 120 million records, disco star and “I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor, Tony Award-winning stage actor Michael Crawford and rock band Kiss.
Trump also announced he will host the Kennedy Center Honors later this year, after both the center and his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles urged him to.
In February, Trump fired and replaced former President Joe Biden’s Kennedy Center board appointees and was elected its new chairman, after he criticized the Kennedy Center for hosting “Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth,” likely referring to an event the center held for LGBTQ youth in 2024.
Are The Kennedy Center Honorees Trump Allies?
Stallone, who has a history of supporting Republican candidates, had refrained from publicly supporting Trump until his 2024 election victory, after which Stallone introduced him at an event in Mar-a-Lago in November. There, Stallone called Trump a “really mythical character,” compared him to Washington and said nobody “could’ve pulled off what he pulled off,” referring to his election victory. Strait, who is largely quiet on politics, appeared to reference Trump’s assassination attempt at a concert on July 13, the same day Trump survived a bullet wound to the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Strait dedicated a performance of his 2019 pro-police song, “The Weight of the Badge,” to law enforcement officers, thanking them for their service “especially after today.” Gaynor, whose 1978 disco classic “I Will Survive” has been considered an LGBTQ anthem, has adopted Christian religious beliefs since she became a churchgoer in the 1980s. In a 2007 interview with the U.K. station Radio 4, presenter Jane Little asked Gaynor about her gay fanbase, to which Gaynor replied she wants to “lead them to Christ.” Gaynor clarified her remarks to NPR in 2019, stating she is “not against anybody” and her religious faith does not impact her “ability to love” her gay friends and fans. Gaynor has seldom spoken of politics, but in 2016, she told Rolling Stone, without naming any candidates, she found the “lack of dignity” of some presidential hopefuls “appalling” and praised former President Barack Obama, stating he never “strayed from the dignity from the office of the president.” In May, Gaynor told U.K. outlet Metro she is not a feminist, stating she loves men. Members of Kiss have shared a range of opinions on Trump: Original guitarist Ace Frehley said in 2018 Americans should support Trump or “move to another country,” while Gene Simmons—who once competed on Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice”—said in 2022 Trump allowed people to be “publicly racist.” The political views of Crawford, who is not American, are less clear, but Trump is a known fan of Broadway, particularly “Phantom of the Opera.”
When Are The Kennedy Center Honors?
Trump said Wednesday the ceremony will take place in December, though a date is not yet known.
Surprising Fact
Kiss will receive the Kennedy Center Honors distinction despite never having won a Grammy Award and only receiving one career nomination, a nod in 1999 for song “Psycho Circus.” The band’s music has not always been well-received throughout its 50-year career—in a review of a 2023 concert, The Guardian called the band’s music “so basic,” even the fan favorite songs, stating attendees spend minutes “waiting for something, anything to happen.”
Further Reading
Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes And More Artists Cut Ties With Kennedy Center After Trump Installs Himself As Chairman (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/08/13/trump-announces-kennedy-center-honorees-stallone-kiss-george-strait-and-himself-as-host/