US President Donald Trump has announced the first batch of Kennedy Center Honors nominees, including country music star George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone, and singer Gloria Gaynor. The remaining two honorees are rock band KISS and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
Trump hosted his first ceremony but skipped it during his previous term due to backlash from artists who refused to attend out of protest. This year, he has taken over as chairman, firing the board of trustees and replacing it with loyalists.
The nominations were announced by Trump in a social media post, where he teased a name change for the center and claimed it would be restored to its former glory under his leadership. The Kennedy Center has confirmed that work is underway to renovate the building, with renovations expected to restore its prestige and grandeur.
Historically, a bipartisan advisory committee selects the recipients, but Trump’s involvement in the process was questioned when he stated being “98%” involved and claimed he had turned down plenty of nominations due to them being too “woke.”
Source: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/trump-strait-stallone-kiss-kennedy-center-honors/3974549