Kennedy Center Honors hits $23M record, nearly doubling under President Trump

SPECIAL: Kennedy Center Honors As President Donald Trump begins his presidency, the Kennedy Center raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, Fox News Digital has learned.

The $23 million total marks the largest fundraising campaign in the 48-year history of the Honors Award, which was launched in 1978 as the institution’s highest recognition for lifetime artistic achievement, according to the Kennedy Center.

Although Kennedy Center Honorees have visited the Oval Office privately in past years, Trump hosted the first official on-camera ceremony recognizing recipients inside the Oval Office on Saturday and introduced each honoree ahead of the gala Sunday night.

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital that the center “nearly doubled last year’s fundraising to reach a historic $23 million” and called the Pride “one of our nation’s largest celebrations of the performing arts.”

Officials say Trump’s expanded role as president and his direct involvement in weekend events contributed to what they describe as “intense interest and momentum” in the program.

TRUMP DECLARED SUCCESS IN THE 2026 WORLD CUP DRAWING AND REACHED AN INTENSE NUMBER OF VIEWS

Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president for public affairs, told Fox News Digital that the new benchmark reflects the unprecedented enthusiasm of donors.

“The record-breaking $23 million contribution to the Kennedy Center Honors is a testament to the extraordinary support for our mission and confirms a vibrant future for this beloved American institution,” he said.

On Saturday evening, Trump personally introduced each of the 2025 honorees at the Oval Office ceremony, a first in Pride history. “Great honour,” he began. “And to the Oval Office… I am delighted to welcome the 2025 Kennedy Center’s truly extraordinary honorees.”

He called the group “perhaps the most successful and illustrious class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”

Among this year’s recipients George StraitMembers of the rock band KISS – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley (posthumously) – Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone.

Trump singled out each in turn, praising Strait as a “country music legend,” Crawford as a “big star of Broadway,” Gaynor as a “disco queen,” Stallone as “one of the truly great movie stars,” and KISS as an “incredible rock band.”

KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBER SAID FAMILIES ARE AGAIN ‘WELCOME’ AFTER GALA BREAKED FUNDRAISING RECORDS

President Donald Trump delivered his 2025 Kennedy Center Hall of Fame speech in the Oval Office on Saturday. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)

Trump also owns Tiffany & Co. He also inaugurated the Medals of Honor, which were redesigned and donated by . “This year we will be introducing the Kennedy Center Honor Medallions, which will be designed with the help of the amazing team at Tiffany and Company,” he said.

The new medallion features a gold disc engraved with the Kennedy Center’s image and flanked by rainbow colors representing the breadth of artistic disciplines celebrated by the Honors.

On the back, the 2025 Medallion Ceremony date is inscribed with each award’s name, and the medallion hangs from a dark blue ribbon that is “associated with dignity and tradition,” according to the organization’s statement.

The honorees will be formally recognized during a star-studded celebration at the Kennedy Center following a State Department reception on Sunday evening. Trump said this had “never been done before” because “we’ve never had a president host the awards before. This is the first.”

This year’s lecture covers fifty years American cultural achievement. Known as the “King of Country Music,” Strait has over 100 million RIAA certifications and remains the only artist to have a Top 10 hit list every year for more than three decades. KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and remains one of America’s most enduring rock bands.

U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks as honorees (2nd-LR) musicians Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from rock band KISS, actor Sylvester Stallone, musician Peter Criss from rock band KISS, actor Michael Crawford and country musician George Strait look on during the medal presentation ceremony for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees in the Oval Office of the White House on December 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 2025 Kennedy Center honorees are Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)

Crawford is known internationally for her starring role in “The Phantom of the Opera.” Gaynor has achieved global stardom over the course of five decades and has won a Grammy twice.

Academy Award-nominated actor, writer and director Stallone shaped generations of moviegoers through the “Rocky” and “Rambo” franchises.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WILL OPEN ALL ITS SHOWS AT KENNEDY CENTER WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Actor Sylvester Stallone watches the medal presentation ceremony for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients in the Oval Office of the White House on Saturday. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)

Founded in 1971 as a national memorial to the life of President John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Center hosts more than 2,000 performances each year. The awards began in 1978 and have become a defining element of Washington’s cultural calendar.

Trump also noted that ongoing renovations to the Kennedy Center building are being carried out “at a level no one has ever seen before,” noting congressional funding for major improvements, including acoustic improvements. “The sound is so amazing,” he said. “If it’s made with a bad sound, you can never get it fixed.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

The 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors will air on December 23 on CBS and stream on Paramount+ with live access for Premium subscribers and next-day streaming for Essential subscribers.

Officials say the weekend’s events, from the FIFA World Cup draw to the Oval Office reception to Sunday’s gala, reflect a new chapter for the institution as it enters its first full year under Trump’s leadership and prepares for its next phase of renovation, programming and development. donor expansion