President Trump Teases Announcement of Kennedy Center Honorees

The recipients of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors will be announced on Wednesday, according to a statement from President Donald Trump. This marks the first time honorees have been chosen since Trump replaced several board members and assumed the role of chairman of the Kennedy Center.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will be announced Wednesday. Tremendous work is being done, and money being spent, on bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment. It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!! President DJT.”

CBS will air the ceremony in December, continuing a tradition that began in 1978. According to Deadline, the network’s current broadcast rights are set to expire after this year’s event, with no new agreement announced.

In 2017, during his first term in office, Trump opted not to attend the event after several honorees indicated they would skip the traditional White House reception.

While Trump has previously supported eliminating federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, he has expressed interest in both the Kennedy Center Honors and the center’s broader operations. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes $257 million for renovation and restoration work at the venue, which opened in 1971.

Trump has also supported legislation to rename the center, with a recent House committee vote advancing a proposal to rename its Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump, and proposals to rename the entire center for President Trump.