A boat passes by the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on August 22, 2025. Aaron Schwartz/Reuters/File Washington —

Household names from the music and film industry will be recognized Sunday night at the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, but it will be President Donald Trump who is center stage as he hosts the institution’s awards show.

The president in August unveiled the recipients and announced he would host the show, as he continues a hands-on approach to overhauling programming and drawing up plans for renovating the complex.

Trump, who skipped the honors during his first term, said he was “98% involved” in picking the center’s next slate of honorees, personally rejecting some he felt were too “ woke .”

The president continues to publicly state that people may star

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