WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has selected five artists with ties to his administration for the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors, the first such ceremony since his board overhaul of the Kennedy Center and the first to be held outside the venue due to renovations.
The honorees — playwright David Mamet, musician Paul Anka, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia, and country singer Barbara Mandrell — were named in a press release from the Kennedy Center. Mamet and Anka have prominent connections to Trump; Mamet is a vocal supporter who has called Trump "the best president since Abraham Lincoln," while Anka is a longtime friend who performed at Trump's 2017 inaugural ball.
Foster, 77, has performed at fundraisers at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club but declined to perform at the president's first inauguration. Garcia, 70, is a registered Republican but has not publicly supported Trump, while Mandrell's politics are not public. The 77-year-old country singer was prominent in the 1970s and 1980s.
The ceremony will take place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., for the first time, as the Kennedy Center building is closed for renovations over the next two years. The selection process has drawn attention for deviating from tradition: honorees were named just one month before the ceremony instead of the usual four-to-five month lead time, and there is no television broadcast deal as the CBS contract has expired.
Former Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi criticized the list on X, writing it was "screwed up" and noting the shortened timeline and lack of broadcast deal. Previous honorees have included Trump critics such as Paul McCartney, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, George Clooney and Billy Crystal.
"We are recognizing amazing artists whose lifelong work has shaped American culture and inspired generations of audiences," President Trump said in the press release. "We are proud to honor this year's class and to continue a tradition that has defined the Center for nearly 50 years."
The Kennedy Center Honors are intended to celebrate "the lifetime contributions of some of the world's most influential artists." The five recipients join a distinguished list of past honorees spanning nearly five decades of the prestigious award.
