Kennedy Center Honors are coming up. Trump is hosting : NPR
President Trump stands in the presidential gallery as he visits the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, March 17.
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Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
The Kennedy Center Honors are traditionally one of the most spectacular events in Washington. Think Hollywood on the Potomac.
Each year, an astonishing number of celebrities come to Washington, DC, to honor the honorees with performances and speeches. Think of Beyoncé playing for Tina Turner, Audrey Hepburn rhapsodizing about Cary Grant, Rob Reiner praising Norman Lear, Aretha Franklin singing for Carol King, Sidney Poitier honoring Harry Belafonte or James Taylor and John Williams playing for Yo-Yo Ma.
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This year’s Kennedy Center honorees include Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor and English actor and singer Michael Crawford.
As in past years, Sunday evening’s gala will be transformed into a special that will air on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23.
But after months of upheaval at the Kennedy Center, the 48th annual Honors will be different. In February, President Trump abruptly ousted Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter and Board of Trustees Chairman David Rubenstein. Staff who worked on the ceremony and broadcast also recently resigned.
Here’s what’s changed.
The selection process
In the past, honorees were chosen over a months-long, bipartisan project by Kennedy Center board members, with input from the general public and past honorees. Ultimately, the recipients were selected by the executive board members and a few other senior management members, with consultation from past recipients such as Julie Andrews, Lionel Richie and John Williams.
This year, President Trump said he was “about 98 percent” involved in the selection process. He also broke with tradition by personally announcing the names at a news conference at the Kennedy Center last August. Previously, the announcement was made on the center’s website and in press releases.
The host
Previous Kennedy Center Honors hosts have included Walter Cronkite, Stephen Colbert, Gloria Estefan and Queen Latifah. Trump will host this year, a first for an American president. At the August press conference, Trump said he was hosting because he was asked to (he did not specify by whom), and said he was told “You’ll get much higher ratings.” He continued: “I used to host The apprentice finals and we did pretty well. So I think we’re going to do very well because we have some great winners. »
Neither Trump nor first lady Melania Trump attended honorary events during his first term.
Actor and singer Queen Latifah, Jill Biden and former President Joe Biden attend the 46th Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.
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Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
One of the traditional perks of being chosen is getting to sit with the president and first lady in the box at the Kennedy Center Opera House. It’s unclear how Trump’s hosting duties will affect his presence in the box.
The iconic rainbow medallion is no more
In the past, Kennedy Center honorees each received a vibrant, multicolor satin ribbon adorned with a gold plaque bearing the honoree’s name at a State Department dinner the day before the gala. Past honorees, including Quincy Jones and Rita Moreno, would attend subsequent galas proudly wearing their own medallions.
For the first time since 1978, the medallions will not be made by the same family of artists, as first reported The Washington Post. The new design is by Tiffany & Co. and features a blue ribbon instead of the rainbow one, with rainbow stripes on the locket itself.
Who will show?
In keeping with tradition, the Kennedy Center is not revealing the names of the artists who will honor this year’s honorees. The surprise on the honorees’ faces when they saw who had come to pay their respects made for some amusing and poignant television moments.
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The upheaval at the Kennedy Center has led to questions about who will be there this year. Historically, even when artists disagreed with previous administrations, they mostly came forward. Some make it a point to come every year.
This year could be different. Former honoree Herbie Hancock, who participated in numerous honors and consulted during the selection process, will not be present. His spokesperson told NPR that he will tour Asia. Bonnie Raitt, one of last year’s honorees who also paid tribute, will also not be in attendance.
Over the decades, the Kennedy Center has built strong relationships with leading artists from around the world. At the August press conference, Trump bragged that he and the center’s new leadership had ended woke political programming. Words that could put off certain artists.
