Trump-Hosted Kennedy Center Honors Draws Lowest Ratings Ever

The Kennedy Center Honors drew its smallest audience ever this year. The Donald Trump-hosted ceremony averaged an estimated 2.65 million viewers, a large drop from the 4.1 million viewers in 2024. The CBS ceremony saw a 35% drop in ratings, The Independent reports.

Trump was the first president to ever host the ceremony. The Washington Post reports that he kicked it off with a 12 minute speech, which CBS cut down to two minutes.

The low ratings also come after it was announced that the board overseeing Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to rename the iconic venue the Trump-Kennedy Center. The President currently serves as chairman of the board. 

This year, honorees included Tony Award-winning performer Michael Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera), actor/writer Sylvester Stallone (Broadway's Rocky), country music star George Strait, disco and gospel artist Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band KISS. 

In a tribute to Crawford, Carrie Manolakos' performed "It Only Takes a Moment" from Hello, Dolly, alongside Laura Osnes and David Phelps, who performed from The Phantom of the Opera. Other attendees included Miranda Lambert, Debbie Winans, Kurt Russell, Vince Gill, Elle King, and more. Watch Kelsey Grammer's introduction of Crawford in the video, featuring a reimagined version of Hello, Dolly.

BroadwayWorld previously reported that ticket sales at the Kennedy Center declined significantly following a leadership transition earlier this year. According to ticketing and spending data cited by The Washington Post, attendance for major productions between early September and mid-October fell to its lowest level since the pandemic.