The Kennedy Center was abuzz on Sunday night for the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors. President Donald Trump presided over the festivities, which honored actor Sylvester Stallone, 79, Tony Award–winning stage actor Michael Crawford, 83, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, 82, country music artist George Strait, 73, and the rock band Kiss. Trump delighted in his role as the evening’s host, acknowledging the event as “one of the most important evenings in the American cultural realm.”
While some things were different, including a showy new set, redesigned medallions presented to the honorees and the president hosting the event, the general format of the show remained the same. In keeping with tradition, the honorees didn’t know who was going to show up to salute them until showtime. That’s part of the fun, seeing their faces light up when their famous friends step onto the stage. And this year, while Hollywood star power was noticeably dimmed, the audience didn’t seem to mind — their enthusiasm for Trump was on full display. The gala performance will air at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+, but in the meantime, here’s what everyone is talking about:
President Donald J. Trump hosts the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
Mary Kouw/CBS
President Trump shakes things up by hosting
President Trump, who did not attend the event during his first term, walked the red carpet with first lady Melania Trump to pose for photos and answer questions prior to the show.
He kicked things off by being the first person to take to the stage. “This is the first time a U.S. president has ever hosted this phenomenal event,” said Trump, who was elected as chairman of the Kennedy Center earlier this year. Trump spoke highly of the five honorees, calling them “really amazing people … personally, I love them all … and this is a very exciting evening.” The president mostly kept the focus on the honorees, touting a $257 million plan to renovate the historic performing arts venue. The Kennedy Center “is going to be bigger and better and more beautiful than ever before,” he said.
Sylvester Stallone, President Donald J. Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump at the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
Tracey Salazar/CBS
Sylvester Stallone honored by his brother Frank and actors Kurt Russell and Garrett Hedlund
After the president introduced Stallone in a pre-recorded message (as he would all the nominees), Kurt Russell, 74, took to the stage to speak about his friend Stallone, his costar in the 1989 action movie Tango & Cash. “I wondered out loud, ‘Where in the hell did they find this boxer who is such a great actor?’ ” Russell recalled thinking when he first saw Rocky. Reminiscing upon their time working together on a movie set, Russell said that he “treated me like his little brother. He took care of me.” Calling Stallone an “Italian stallion,” Russell said that “the story of Sly Stallone is the story of the American Dream.” Stallone’s brother Frank Stallone, 75, also appeared onstage to salute the actor in an emotional tribute. “You’ll always be my hero, and I love you so much,” said Frank, fighting back tears. “We went from nowhere to somewhere at the Kennedy Center with the president of the United States, and God has blessed us.” Actor Garrett Hedlund, who costars with Stallone in the TV series Tulsa King, said Stallone was “a man who I’ve admired from afar as long as I can remember.… You are literally a hero, Sly.” He called Stallone a “humble soul who truly cares about everyone.”
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