Donald Trump has never been shy about expressing his opinions on any issue, and now that he has assumed leadership of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, it seems likely that those opinions will have a major impact on the direction of that institution. That includes the future – and perhaps even the past – of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
Those awards, which have been presented annually since 1978, are among the highest national honors given to performers. Each year since ’78, the executive committee of the Board of Trustees has selected five recipients based on recommendations received from the public, as well as from an advisory committee comprised of artists themselves. The criteria for selection include artistic excellence and contributions to the American culture.
Musical artists have been included from the beginning. Opera singer Marian Anderson was in the first cohort. Bonnie Raitt was in last year’s class. In between, more than 50 musical performers across numerous genres have received recognition.
New leadership direction for the Kennedy Center might change who gets honored
Though singers who had popular music hits, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, were early recipients, perhaps the first star who had modern pop appeal was Ray Charles, who was honored in 1986. Subsequent years usually saw one modern music star amongst the five honorees. Legends like B.B. King and Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Stevie Wonder have been feted at the Kennedy Center.
Hard rock arrived on the scene in 2008 when surviving members of The Who were recognized. (The Center, with one exception, has never formally recognized a deceased artist.) The Who was the first musical group to be honored. Since then, five other groups – Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire, U2, and the Grateful Dead – have made the cut.
Last week, Donald Trump announced his intention to become the new chairman of the Center. To accomplish that, he removed 18 board members appointed by Democrats and replaced them with new board members such as Second Lady Usha Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The new board chose Trump to be the new chairman, and he vowed to make the Center a “very special and exciting place.” Trump has previously said that he has never attended an event at the Center.
Though the new leadership could affect every aspect of the Kennedy Center’s operations, let’s take a quick look at the impact it may have on the musical artists recognized by Kennedy Center Honors. That impact might be felt in three distinct ways.
The most obvious impact will come in terms of who will be recognized in the coming years. The Center has always attempted to maintain independence from political pressure. Traditionally, its board has been comprised of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. That is no longer the case. The new Chairman, President Trump, has made it a habit throughout his political career to reward loyalty.
Though it seems beyond the pale to consider some of the young artists who have supported him – DaBaby and Kodak Black come to mind – Trump has received support from more established music stars on whom he may look favorably. Kid Rock and Ted Nugent have been very vocal in their support. Country music star Jason Aldean has an impressive resume, with twelve consecutive top ten albums on the Country charts, including seven Number Ones.
Aldean, like Kid Rock performed at the President’s recent inauguration. Snoop Dogg, who was an outspoken critic of Trump during his first run for the White House, changed course during the latest election cycle. He did not perform at the inauguration but did take part in a related event leading up to it. He has been as prominent a cultural figure as anyone over the past several years and could certainly be in line for recognition.
The most fascinating name to consider among musicians who may be most positively impacted by the new leadership is Kanye West. Previously, it would have been difficult to imagine the mercurial, controversial rapper showing up at the Kennedy Center. Now, it is well within the realm of possibility.
The second way in which Trump could impact the Honors is the flip side of the first. Are there artists who have spoken out against him and, therefore, will not get appropriate consideration, at least over the course of the next four years?
Though plenty of artists have expressed personal political views, this list is not as long as one might think. There are several reasons for that. First, the artists most prone to bold political statements typically dwell on the fringes of mainstream culture. As such, they may not be in line for such an honor regardless of who makes the decision. Would any Kennedy Center board really recognize a performer like Jello Biafra?
If Trump were to hold a grudge against the many artists who objected to his use of their music at campaign rallies without permission, the list could get much longer. R.E.M., Celine Dion, The White Stripes, and Neil Young are just a few of the acts that fall into this category. Some filed lawsuits to stop the activity.
But many such artists were careful in the way they approached the subject, and the Trump campaign rarely engaged in personal back-and-forths in such situations. The simple fact that he used their music suggests that the president does like the artists on some level. It is a tricky situation to handicap.
The flip side of the Kanye West situation is Taylor Swift. She is probably too young to merit consideration at this point. Though Trump has been somewhat less aggressive in attacking the pop star, there seems little chance he would approve of her being honored.
The other reason that any potential blacklist isn’t extensive gets to the third, and perhaps most insidious way that new leadership could potentially affect Kennedy Center Honors. The fact is, a lot of artists who have expressed displeasure with Donald Trump have already received recognition.
There is a precedent for the Kennedy Center to rescind one of its honors. It has happened once. 1998 honoree Bill Cosby had his recognition rescinded in 2018 after his conviction on sexual assault charges. I am not aware of any other honoree with such a serious criminal record, but Trump has rarely been constrained by past precedent.
He could decide that there are some artists whose political opposition to his agenda makes them unworthy of Kennedy Center recognition and with a highly supportive board, could rescind their honors, as was done with Cosby.
Such a list might include Cher, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, U2’s Bono, and the Eagles’ Don Henley. 2023 honoree Queen Latifah, who hosted last year’s award show, has long been critical of Trump. And perhaps no one would be in the crosshairs more than Bruce Springsteen, who was honored in 2009. I know of no one who would discount Springsteen's impact on American culture over the past fifty years, but we are playing under new rules in 2025.
The Kennedy Center and its famous honors are likely to change in ways we cannot even imagine today.