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President Donald Trump on Saturday presented the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with newly redesigned medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, praising the group of artists he helped select while marking a significant shift in how the nation’s signature cultural awards are administered.
This year’s honorees — actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford — were recognized for their contributions to American arts and culture. “This is a group of incredible people,” Trump said. “I know most of them, and I’ve been a fan of all of them.”
For the first time, the medallion was designed and donated by Tiffany & Co. The gold disc features the Kennedy Center’s image with rainbow elements on one side and the honoree’s name and date on the other. It replaces the traditional rainbow-colored ribbon used for decades.
Saturday’s event also highlighted broader changes Trump has made to the Kennedy Center since returning to office in January. The president, who did not participate in the Honors program during his first term, removed the existing board of trustees earlier this year and appointed new members who later elected him chair. The moves prompted several artists to cancel performances and led to some staff resignations, according to the institution.
Administration officials have said the leadership changes were part of an effort to increase accountability and transparency. The White House previously criticized the Kennedy Center as “woke” and raised questions about its finances, though it has not publicly detailed specific concerns.
During the ceremony, Trump individually introduced and praised each honoree. Of Crawford, he said, “He has been a great star of Broadway,” referencing his acclaimed lead role in “The Phantom of the Opera.” On Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen — and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.” He described Stallone as “one of the true great movie stars” and called Kiss an “incredible rock band.”
Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was the first to receive his medal. When the singer began removing the hat, Trump told him, “If you want to leave it on, you can,” though Strait ultimately took it off.
The president said he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees, marking a departure from past practice in which a bipartisan selection committee made the decisions. The honorees were also unveiled in August at a public event at the Kennedy Center rather than through the customary press release.
The annual Kennedy Center Honors gala — featuring tribute performances and speeches — is scheduled to be taped Sunday for broadcast later this month. Trump, who plans to attend with first lady Melania Trump, as well as host, has said he expects the telecast to draw strong ratings. “It’s going to be something,” he said Saturday. “I think it will be the highest-rated show they’ve ever done.”
