KISS and George Strait were among the five recipients named for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, according to a Washington Post report published December 7, 2025. The report said Donald Trump claimed the choices “all went through me”; that is his characterization, not confirmation of the Kennedy Center’s formal selection process.
Who was named for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors?
The five recipients named in the December 7 report were:
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- KISS
- George Strait
- Michael Crawford
- Sylvester Stallone
- Gloria Gaynor
The report described the ceremony as scheduled for December 7, 2025. The available report does not establish what took place at the ceremony afterward or where it was broadcast or streamed.
Did Trump choose the honorees?
The Washington Post report attributed to Trump the statement that the choices “all went through me.” This supports saying that Trump claimed involvement; it does not independently establish who made the selections or how the Kennedy Center’s formal process operated in 2025.
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What do the Kennedy Center Honors recognize?
The Kennedy Center describes the Honors as recognizing lifetime artistic achievement and contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Its 2021 description of the historical selection framework says excellence is the primary criterion and notes recommendations from trustees, the artistic community, and the public. That account documents the framework described in 2021; it does not verify the exact process used for the 2025 class.
Sources: The Washington Post report on the 2025 announcement; the Kennedy Center’s 2024 release describing the Honors and its 2021 release on the historical selection framework.
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