Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell Set for Kennedy Center Honors

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The latest honorees for the revamped Kennedy Center Honors have been unveiled.

This year’s honorees are singers Paul Anka and Barbara Mandrell, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia and writer David Mamet, it was announced on Monday. The latest Kennedy Center Honors will take place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The Kennedy Center itself has been at the center of a legal battle as U.S. President Donald Trump slammed a court decision to block his name, twice, from being added to the building’s exterior. The board at the arts institution also chose to shut down the Kennedy Center, with Trump in social media posts suggesting the closure would allow future renovations.

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Launched in 1978, the annual Kennedy Center Honors event recognizes individuals who have made lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. “We are recognizing amazing artists whose lifelong work has shaped American culture and inspired generations of audiences. We are proud to honor this year’s class and to continue a tradition that has defined the Center for nearly 50 years,” Trump said in a statement.

There’s no word on whether Trump will again host the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors event. The ratings for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Trump at the Kennedy Center, dropped to a new all-time low.

Last year’s honors gala aired on CBS and Paramount+ amid news of Trump’s plans to rename the Kennedy Center to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The push to rename the arts institution has drawn blowback, including by members of the Kennedy family and resulted in numerous artists dropping out of planned performance at the Kennedy Center.

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