George Strait, a country singer and Grammy Award winner; Michael Crawford, a Broadway actor and singer who originated the lead role in The Phantom of the Opera; Sylvester Stallone, star of the Rocky and Ramo movies; disco singer Gloria Gaynor, better known for her women’s empowerment anthem “I Will Survive”; and the rock group Kiss are this year’s Kennedy Center honorees.
President Trump claimed to have been “very involved” in choosing the group to receive the Kennedy Center Honors during a press conference held on Wednesday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Members of the Kennedy Center board traditionally choose the awardees through a months-long, bipartisan process that includes feedback from previous honorees and the public.
However, Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that awardees had already been chosen took the staff by surprise. That same day, executive producer Matthew Winer of the Kennedy Center Honors announced his resignation.
Trump said at the press conference on Wednesday that he rejected “a couple of wokesters” that the board had suggested, but he added that the awardees weren’t picked because of their political views. He mentioned how much he loved Michael Crawford’s performance in Phantom of the Opera and called Sylvester Stallone a friend.
Trump added this morning that he was encouraged by his team to have the event in December. He acknowledged that he had hosted The Apprentice before.
“Artistic excellence” is the primary requirement for the Kennedy Center Honors, which are lifetime achievement honors. LL Cool J, Francis Ford Coppola, Johnny Cash, Meryl Streep, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Grateful Dead, and Stephen Sondheim are among the previous awardees.
Traditionally, honorees are given a full weekend of activities in Washington, D.C., which includes a star-studded gala at the Kennedy Center, a dinner at the State Department, and a reception at the White House.
This year’s celebration is set for December 7, the Kennedy Center said in a news release on Wednesday. Later on, it will be streamed on Paramount+ and televised on CBS.
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.
In July, Trump signed his “Big Beautiful Bill” into law, which would provide $257 million to the Kennedy Center.That is six times what it typically receives each year from Congress.
Additionally, a $32 million increase for the performing arts complex was recently granted by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee, provided that the Opera House be renamed in honor of first lady Melania Trump. The House has also sponsored a bill to rename the Kennedy Center in Trump’s honor.
The Trump White House has launched an offensive against federally funded cultural institutions since he took office in his second term.
He dismissed the Librarian of Congress, issued an executive order requesting a review to remove “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the Smithsonian’s museums, and suggested dismantling the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. Additionally, the Department of Government Efficiency during his leadership significantly reduced financing for grants to cultural organizations nationwide.
This story was edited by Clare Lombardo.
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