According to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because they fear professional consequences for speaking out, Kennedy Center staff were taken aback by President Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors recipients would be announced tomorrow. The crew, they told NPR, is frequently “out of the loop” and “worried they won’t have enough time to sell tickets and sponsorships.”
The news was posted by Trump on Tuesday morning. “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” it referenced, referring to a measure in Congress that would rename the performing arts center in his honor.
According to Trump, “Tremendous work is being done, and money being spent, on bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment.”
The primary criterion for the Kennedy Center Honors, which are given out at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., is “artistic excellence.” These honors have long been regarded as distinguished lifetime achievement awards. Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Rita Moreno, Herbie Hancock, Dick Van Dyke, Renee Fleming, and Francis Ford Coppola are among the previous awardees.
Trump has suggested Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley as potential honorees, even though honorees are often active artists.
The largest fundraiser for the performing arts facility has historically been the Kennedy Center Honors.
Along with longstanding Kennedy Center chair David Rubenstein, Trump overthrew the previously selected Board of Trustees in February as part of a leadership change at the Kennedy Center. Deborah Rutter, the cultural center’s president for more than ten years, was also fired.
The Kennedy Center will get $257 million as part of the domestic spending plan approved by Congress under President Trump.That is six times what it typically receives each year from Congress.
This article was edited by Jennifer Vanasco for the web and television.Copyright 2025 NPR
