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Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, Kiss, George Strait and Michael Crawford to be honored at the Kennedy Center Honors by Trump

President Donald Trump also confirmed that he himself will host the ceremony, which will take place on December 8 in Washington D.C.

Trump and Stallone at the White House (File)

Trump and Stallone at the White House (File)AFP.

Agustina Blanco
Published by
Agustina Blanco

President Donald Trump announced this year's Kennedy Center Honors honorees Wednesday, in the first edition of the prestigious gala since he took over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Honorees include iconic actor Sylvester Stallone, legendary disco singer Gloria Gaynor, rock band Kiss, country singer George Strait and British actor Michael Crawford, known for his role in "The Phantom of the Opera."

Trump also confirmed that he himself will host the ceremony, which will take place on December 8 in Washington D.C.

Change of course

The Kennedy Center Honors, established in 1978, recognize the artistic careers of outstanding figures in theater, dance, music, television and film. Past honorees include names such as Aretha Franklin, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Rita Moreno. The ceremony, which celebrated its 47th anniversary in 2024, has traditionally been a bipartisan event.

Earlier this year, Trump dismissed 18 members of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees, including its chairman, and then replaced them with close allies, such as his chief of staff Susie Wiles, Usha Vance (wife of Vice President JD Vance) and conservative media personalities such as Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham.

In addition, he proclaimed himself chairman of the board and justified these changes by claiming that the center had become "too woke" and vowed to restore its greatness with programming more aligned with his vision.

The Kennedy Center's restructuring has generated mixed reactions. Some performers, such as Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae and the producers of Hamilton, have quit or canceled performances in protest of Trump's changes, citing a violation of the institution's values.

On the other hand, the Kennedy Center issued a statement on social media expressing its "honor" to host Trump and stressing that, thanks to his leadership, the building will be renovated to regain its "prestige and grandeur."

Trump's admiration

During the announcement, Trump highlighted his admiration for the honorees. Of Stallone, a close ally named Hollywood ambassador by the president, he said: "He's a very special guy. A real talent, never been given credit for the talent." He also praised Gaynor, for her song "I Will Survive," and recalled attending Crawford's Broadway debut in 1967.

Trump addresses war in Ukraine ahead of meeting with Putin in Alaska

During his visit to the Kennedy Center to announce the Kennedy Center Honors honorees, President Donald Trump spoke briefly about the war in Ukraine, in the context of a call with European leaders and just two days before his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Aug. 15 in Anchorage, Alaska, with the intention of negotiating a possible ceasefire in the conflict that has been going on for more than three years.


Trump called the call with European allies "very good" and gave it a score of "10," according to notes from The Hill. However, he also warned that Russia will face "severe consequences" if it does not stop the war after Friday's meeting, without specifying what those measures would be.

At the same time, Trump is keeping up his pressure on Russia by threatening secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Russia, as he did with 50% tariffs on India for importing Russian oil, a fact that strained the relationship between Trump and Modi.

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