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The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors were the 48th edition of the annual celebration, recognizing George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford and KISS. The White House announced the class on August 13, 2025; medals were presented on December 6, the Honors ceremony followed on December 7, and CBS broadcast the recorded program on December 23.
The 2025 honorees
The five recipients represented country music, popular music, film, musical theater and rock:
| Honoree | Field identified in the announcement | What is established about the selection |
|---|---|---|
| George Strait | Country singer and recording artist | The White House announcement says he has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, achieved 60 number-one hits and made 33 platinum-certified albums. Those figures are claims in the announcement and were not independently validated in the sources used here. |
| Gloria Gaynor | Singer | Named as one of the five 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients. |
| Sylvester Stallone | Actor | Named as one of the five 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients. |
| Michael Crawford | Actor-singer | Named as one of the five 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients. |
| KISS | Rock band | Named as one of the five 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients. |
The honors recognize artists whose work has made a lasting contribution to American culture through the performing arts. The available announcements establish the roster and broad career categories, but they do not provide a complete list of tribute performers, songs or individual ceremony segments.
When each part of the 2025 Honors happened
Several dates are associated with the event. Treating them as interchangeable creates a misleading timeline.
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| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 13, 2025 | The White House announced the five honorees. An official government transcript records President Donald Trump’s announcement remarks. |
| December 6, 2025 | Trump presented the honorees with their medals at the White House, according to CBS News and the Associated Press. |
| December 7, 2025 | The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony took place in Washington. Trump hosted it, an unusual arrangement because presidents more commonly attend as guests. |
| December 23, 2025 | CBS aired the recorded ceremony as the original television broadcast. |
Who hosted the ceremony?
Donald Trump hosted the 2025 Honors ceremony after presenting the medals the previous day. The hosting role was a notable departure from the familiar pattern in which a president attends the ceremony without serving as its host. In his August 13 announcement remarks, Trump said he had been asked to host and described the honorees as “the incredibly talented artists who will be celebrated later this year.”
Where viewers could watch it
CBS’s December 23, 2025 viewing guide identified two original distribution options:
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- Broadcast: CBS aired the recorded ceremony on December 23, 2025.
- Streaming: The guide reported that the program was available on Paramount+.
Those details describe the original broadcast and the availability reported at that time. They should not be read as a guarantee that the program remains in Paramount+’s current catalog; viewers should check the service’s present listing for replay access.
Why the Kennedy Center Honors matter
The Kennedy Center Honors are an annual recognition of distinguished achievement in the performing arts. The 2025 class spans several forms of popular entertainment rather than a single genre: Strait and Gaynor represent major recording careers, Stallone is honored for screen acting, Crawford for his combined acting and singing work, and KISS for its influence as a rock band.
That range is the central story of the 48th edition. It is a celebration of five established careers, not a competitive ranking among the recipients.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the available record does—and does not—establish
Established
- The 2025 class had five recipients: George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford and KISS.
- The White House announced the class on August 13, 2025.
- Medals were presented at the White House on December 6.
- The Honors ceremony took place on December 7, with Trump as host.
- CBS broadcast the recorded program on December 23 and CBS’s viewing guide reported Paramount+ availability.
Not detailed in the cited reports
- A complete list of tribute performers and musical numbers.
- A segment-by-segment account of the ceremony.
- Current, ongoing streaming availability after the original broadcast period.
For that reason, descriptions of specific tributes or songs should be treated cautiously unless confirmed by an official program or a current listing.
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