Kennedy Center Honorees announced as institution remains in turmoil - The Independent
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The next class of Kennedy Center honorees has been announced as the storied institution remains in turmoil.
Singers Paul Anka and Barbara Mandrell, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia and writer David Mamet will be honored at a celebration held December 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Typically held at the Kennedy Center, the celebration has been relocated due to an ongoing legal battle being pursued by Donald Trump as he fights to have his name added to the building.
The center was temporarily shut to the public in September by its board of trustees. Still, the annual tradition of honoring Americans who have contributed to the performing arts will continue.
“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, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The actual celebration centers around tribute performances to the honorees.
Anka is arguably best known for writing the lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s classic “My Way,” though his own hits include “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “Having My Baby.”
Country singer Mandrell is known for her signature anthem “I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool,” along with “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right.” She retired in 1997.
Playwright Mamet, a known Trump supporter, is the writer behind “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “American Buffalo.”
Garcia, an Oscar nominee for his role in The Godfather Part III, had his breakout role in The Untouchables (1987) and went on to feature in the Ocean’s franchise.
Foster is a 16-time Grammy winner who has co-written songs including “The Prayer,” “After the Love Has Gone,” “You're the Inspiration” and “I Have Nothing.”
Trump hosted last year’s ceremony, which honored Sylvester Stallone, Gene Simmons, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford. The event, aired on CBS and Paramount+, drew its smallest ever audience, with 35 percent fewer viewers than the previous year.
It is not yet clear if he will return to host this year. The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump and his team are desperately trying to convince a federal judge to approve the center to close in order to complete a two-year, $257-million renovation. But Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio has challenged the closure with a lawsuit.
In September, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide at least 30 days’ notice before making any physical changes to the Kennedy Center — including demolishing it — after the venue’s Trump-controlled board voted to shutter the venue for repairs.
Matt Floca, the venue’s Trump-appointed director, decided to “temporarily” close the Kennedy Center due to “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration” of the building, according to the Department of Justice.
However, members of the National Symphony Orchestra have continued to rehearse inside the shuttered facilities.
