On Saturday (Dec. 6), President Donald Trump presented the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, praising the artists he helped select as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.
This year’s recipients include actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band KISS, and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
Trump described them as a group of “incredible people” representing the “very best in American arts and culture,” stating, “I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them.”
“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted, and unified millions of Americans,” said Trump in a tuxedo. “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.”
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center
Trump overlooked the Kennedy Center and its prestigious awards program during his first term as president. However, since returning to office in January, he has implemented several changes, notably replacing its board of trustees with GOP supporters who elected him as chairman.
He has also criticized the center’s programming and appearance, pledging to overhaul both.
The president placed around each honoree’s neck a new medal designed, created, and donated by jeweler Tiffany & Co., according to both the Kennedy Center and Trump.
The medal is a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center’s image and rainbow colors. The honoree’s name appears on the reverse side along with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon, replacing a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that previously rested on the honoree’s shoulders and chest.
Trump honors the honorees
Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was the first to receive his medal. When he began to remove his hat, Trump remarked, “If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through.” However, Strait took it off.
The president referred to Crawford as a “great star of Broadway” for his lead role in the long-running Phantom of the Opera. Regarding Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen, and she was indeed; nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.”
Trump praised his friend Stallone as “wonderful” and “spectacular,” calling him “one of the true great movie stars” and “one of the great legends.”
KISS was described by Trump as an “incredible rock band.”
Songs by honorees Gaynor and KISS played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office while members of the White House press corps waited for Trump to commence the ceremony.
In August, Trump stated he was “about 98% involved” in selecting the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center—the first group chosen under his leadership. Traditionally, honorees had been announced via press release.
The selection process prior to Trump involved a bipartisan committee.
“These are among the greatest artists, actors, and performers of their generation—the greatest that we’ve seen,” Trump stated. “We can hardly imagine country music without its king or American disco without its first lady or Broadway without its phantom—or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world.”
“Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life; together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for performing arts,” Trump remarked.
On Saturday, Trump also attended an annual State Department dinner for honorees. In previous years, medallions were presented there; however, Trump moved this ceremony to the White House.
Trump to host the Kennedy Center Honors
The prestigious Kennedy Center Honors program will feature tribute speeches and performances for each recipient on Sunday at the performing arts center. This event will be taped for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump will attend this program for the first time as president alongside his wife, first lady Melania Trump.
In August, he confirmed his agreement to host the show and reiterated on Saturday that he would do so. He predicted that this broadcast would achieve its highest ratings ever due to his involvement. Traditionally, presidents attend this program and sit with honorees in the audience; none have ever served as host before.
He expressed excitement about Sunday’s celebration.
“It’s going to be something that I believe—and I’m going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show they’ve ever done. They’ve had some pretty good ratings before but nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” Trump stated.
See a video from Saturday night uploaded by the White House below.
