If there was any doubt that the Kennedy Center Honors were not going to be politically-afflicted in 2025, that hope ended when Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, installed himself as Center chairperson and stated he would host the next honors. He had to be involved.
That aside, this doesn't mean the Honors were not going to be completely full of people who didn't deserve the attention. Heck, it could have been worse. Kid Rock or Ted Nugent could have been honored (and, in future years, still might be). But how worthy are those honorees for 2025?
We will give one of them, Sylvester Stallone, an incomplete here. We don't cover movies or TV shows. If his brother, Frank, had been nominated, that would have gotten an F. But no one (hopefully) wants to hear Sly sing.
Grading the musical artists that received 2025 Kennedy Center Honors
Gloria Gaynor
One might safely assume that the original intention of the Kennedy Center Honors was to honor sustained success and the impact a performer had on American culture. One-hit wonders don't really fit that definition. Gaynor is just that.
Her iconic disco anthem, "I Will Survive," hit No. 1, and we can assume Donald Trump is a disco fan. This not only shows his questionable taste in music, but also his age. His people often play the Village People's "YMCA" at rallies, for instance. Disco, though, did us all a favor and died in the 1970s.
Besides her hit above, Gaynor had only one other song reach the top 10. Can you name it? Unlikely. After "I Will Survive" in 1978, she never had another track sniff the top 30. Besides the album that contained "I Will Survive," Love Tracks, she had no other album charted better than number 25.
Grade: F
KISS
One of the original goth/hard rock bands deserves to be honored. KISS has had far too much of a sustained impact on culture to argue otherwise. They might be done playing live and making good records, but their work is done.
Yet, one might wonder if they would have received the honor if Gene Simmons were not such an outspoken right-wing individual. If the band were what they were, but Simmons had praised Joe Biden, for instance, the likelihood of them being honored is nil.
Grade: A
George Strait
George Strait is kind of in the same vein as KISS, except without the rock and the makeup (that we know of). He has been extremely influential on country music, and has been so for decades. He might not be your favorite musical artist, but he is a worthy one to be honored.
He is also from Texas, and maybe that matters in the current state of affairs in the country. Maybe not.
Grade: A
Michael Crawford
Crawford is the interesting choice here. Has he been a part of great musical events? Sure. He was the best phantom in the Broadway performance of Phantom of the Opera. He was also a Broadway icon for many years. But he isn't an American, and he doesn't live in the United States.
No matter. If this was truly a Kennedy Center Honors that handed out praise for great work in music (which, from its intent, it's not), Crawford deserves to be mentioned. He's also done a lot of good work for charities that help children who have fallen ill or don't have enough food.
Grade: B