The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, alongside President Donald Trump, announced this year’s list of honorees.
Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell will receive this prestigious honor at the 49th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which will take place for the first time at Capital One Arena on December 7.
The announcement comes surprisingly late, since winners are usually revealed between July and September. This year’s ceremony will also take place as political drama surrounds the institution, which has historically avoided partisan issues.
The center’s board of directors, hand-picked by its president, Trump, voted in December 2025 to add his name to the building, sparking widespread outrage. But when a federal judge ruled in May that only Congress could rename the building, Trump’s name was announced in June. After the judge blocked another attempt to put the president’s name back on the building in September, Trump’s Kennedy Center board voted to close the center, citing structural deterioration. Trump said renovations would not begin unless a higher court allows his name to come back, warning that the building could otherwise end up being “demolished.” Trump’s Justice Department backed the president, saying the center faced financial and physical collapse without Trump’s name on it.
The host has not yet been announced for this year’s ceremony. Trump himself hosted the 2025 gala, which saw a sharp drop in viewership and honored Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, KISS and Michael Crawford.
A broadcast partner has not yet been announced. CBS has broadcast the event every year since its inception in 1978, but the network’s broadcast rights expired in 2025.
“We recognize extraordinary artists whose lifetime work has shaped American culture and inspired generations of audiences,” Trump said in a statement. “We are proud to honor this year’s class and continue a tradition that has defined the Center for nearly 50 years.
Anka is the legendary singer-songwriter behind “Diana” and “My Way.” Foster is a 16-time Grammy Award-winning composer who helped launch the careers of Celine Dion and Michael Bublé. Garcia is an Academy Award-nominated actor whose credits include “The Godfather: Part III” and “Ocean’s Eleven.” Mamet is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, director and author behind “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Oleanna.” Mandrell is a country singer best known for “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right”.
Past Kennedy Center honorees include Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Led Zeppelin and Sidney Poitier.
Gn entert
