Donald Trump has made his first selection of Kennedy Center Honor recipients. Back in February, shortly after the president assumed leadership of the famed cultural institution, we speculated about whether his uniquely personal use of power might shape these decisions. Now we have our first pieces of evidence.
For those who feared the worst, you can take some solace in the fact that there are no highly controversial, divisive choices. No Kanye West or Kid Rock.
On the other hand, there are no cutting-edge artists who seriously challenged middle-of-the-road tastes. And there is certainly not even the slightest hint of woke culture amongst the five artists/groups.
Donald Trump’s first Kennedy Center picks stay firmly in the mainstream
Amongst the musicians, Trump chose country artist George Strait, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, and glam metal rockers KISS. He also chose Broadway star Michael Crawford and actor Sylvester Stallone.
There is little disputing the fact that each of these performers boasts a resume worthy of high honor. Gaynor, despite her long career, is arguably the least accomplished of the five in terms of commercial success. More on that in a moment.
Stallone is the only honoree who has overtly supported Trump.
Let’s look at a couple of trends.
Prior to last year, you have to go back to 2010 to find a year in which fewer than two women were honored. Last year, Bonnie Raitt was the only female performer to win recognition, but there is a small caveat. Last year also marked the first time since these awards began in 1978 that an institution was chosen for recognition.
That institution, Harlem’s Apollo Theater, is headed by a woman, Michelle Ebanks, and the award presentation was emceed by Queen Latifah. The first live performance during the awards was by a woman, RAYE. Though plenty of men were involved as well, there was a clear attempt to honor the female nature of the Apollo.
Not so this year, when Gaynor is the only woman on the list. Gaynor’s selection may well be an example of Trump’s impact, as he has praised her one major crossover hit, “I Will Survive,” as a personal favorite. Gloria Gaynor, a performer who would have been a more worthy recipient, died in 2012, and the Kennedy Center does give posthumous awards.
It would have been interesting to know if Gaynor would have been chosen by Summer, one of the icons of gay culture, were she still alive. It is likely that Summer was never honored in part because of a perceived falling out she had with many of her fans after she became a born-again Christian later in life.
The selection of KISS is likely to be the most divisive amongst rock fans. KISS always was a divisive band. They helped define an era of arena rock, complete with glam face paint and wild stage shows.
Musically, they hit a sweet spot in the late ‘70s and remained hitmakers over several decades. I have never read anyone opining that KISS changed rock music in any significant way, but to their legions of fans, they put on entertaining shows.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Kiss’s selection is the fact that several members of the band have said things that are highly critical of Trump. Paul Stanley has been consistent in his opinions, referring to him as a “mob boss” at one point. Gene Simmons was a vocal Trump supporter until the January 6 insurrection, after which he too voiced criticism.
Both band members have tended to avoid political statements of late, with Stanley publicly calling for unity after Trump was elected in 2024.
KISS is an iconic piece of American culture. As a band, it is loud, aggressive, and to many listeners, overtly schlocky. It is also very popular. Are they worthy of a Kennedy Center honor? There was a time when that would have been inconceivable. We are now in an era in which that word has lost all meaning.
One other historical note that may explain their selection, as well as anything. Until now, only six musical groups have been recognized by the Kennedy Center. The first was the Who in 2008. As you may know, the Who are a British band. Since then, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire, U2, and the Grateful Dead have joined them.
With the selection of KISS, American bands now outnumber British/Irish bands for the first time in the history of the Kennedy Center Honors. That does seem in sync with one particular political slogan.