The Kennedy Center Honors 2026 honorees were announced Monday, recognizing Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet, and Barbara Mandrell. The annual ceremony, typically held at the Kennedy Center, will instead take place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on December 7 due to ongoing renovations and legal disputes.
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees selected the honorees, with President Donald Trump having a role in the decision as chairman of the board. The event’s relocation follows a federal judge’s May ruling that blocked Trump’s plan to rename the center to include his name and overturned the board’s vote to close the venue for two years of renovations. The judge’s order also required the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s facade, which had been added in December 2024.
The 2026 honorees represent diverse fields, including music, film, theater, and country music. Paul Anka, known for co-writing “My Way” and the Tonight Show theme, has a long-standing professional relationship with Trump, having rewritten “My Way” with MAGA-themed lyrics. David Foster, a prolific music producer, has worked with artists such as Chicago and Natalie Cole and has performed for Trump in the past. Andy Garcia, an actor with credits including The Untouchables and The Godfather Part III, has also been recognized. David Mamet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, has publicly shifted from liberal to conservative views, telling Fox News in 2023 that he had “discovered my conservative beliefs.” Barbara Mandrell, a Country Music Hall of Famer, joins the list with hits such as “Years” and “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed.”
The Kennedy Center Honors, established in 1978, traditionally honor artists across disciplines. The ceremony’s relocation marks the first time it will be held at Capital One Arena, a change prompted by the legal and political disputes surrounding the center’s operations. The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted to close the venue indefinitely in September, shortly after the federal judge’s ruling, despite the board’s earlier decision to rename the center under Trump’s leadership.
The 2025 ceremony, held last year, celebrated George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone. This year’s event will proceed as planned, though the venue change reflects broader tensions over the center’s future and its association with Trump’s administration.