The other honorees this year include movie star Sylvester Stalone, glam- and shock-rock band KISS, disco queen Gloria Gaynor and Tony Award-winning actor Michael Crawford, lauded for his depiction of the titular character in the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera.
The recipients will be honored at a December ceremony at the Kennedy Center presided over by Trump.
The president released the names as part of his new, self-appointed and controversial role as chief of the Kennedy Center. Bringing the cultural center into his orbit of influence is viewed as part of his larger battle to exert power over the arts and entertainment more broadly.
Trump claimed he was “very involved” in the selection of this year’s nominees and that he “vetoed the wokesters,” according to NPR. Typically, the honorees are selected through a months-long bipartisan vetting process by the board.
Following his self-appointment to helm the Kennedy Center, Trump terminated the positions of several board members as his first order of business.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Trump wrote on his social media platform TruthSocial.
The board previously included Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, longtime Biden ally Mike Donilon and former Obama advisor Stephanie Cutter. When Trump declared himself chair, he removed the Biden- and Obama-linked board members and took over the role as chairman replacing David Rubinstein, another Biden ally, according to the Associated Press.
Trump also waged war against Kennedy Center programming that included drag performances, according to the AP, declaring on Truth Social: “THIS WILL STOP!”
Shortly after Trump’s takeover, singer-songwriter Ben Folds and opera singer Renée Fleming announced they were stepping down as artistic advisors to the institution. TV producer Shonda Rhimes — who served as treasurer of the board of trustees and hosted Biden fundraisers — also resigned.
The board now consists entirely of Trump loyalists, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and singer Lee Greenwood, who wrote “God Bless the USA,” Trump’s unofficial campaign anthem.
Other board members include Richard Grenell, Trump’s special presidential envoy for special missions, and Sergio Gor, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. Jennifer Fischer, a Michigan resident, is another board member appointed by Trump during his previous term in office. In February, Trump also appointed Florida printing press owner and Republican donor John Falconetti, though his credentials for the role are especially dubious.
Elliot Berke, general counsel to the Kennedy Center, is a DC political insider and attorney who also describes himself as “DC’s liaison to rock ‘n’ roll.” Berke also serves as outside adviser to the Smithsonian Museum, where just this week the White House announced it would review the exhibits to ensure they are in line with Trump’s interpretation of historic events.
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This article appears in Aug 7-20, 2025.