The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors performers are centered around tributes to the five honorees: Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, and KISS, with the evening built from other artists performing in their honor rather than full sets by the honorees themselves.

Who the 2025 honorees are

The 48th Kennedy Center Honors in 2025 celebrates five major figures in American and global pop culture and music. The honorees are:

  • Michael Crawford (stage and screen legend, original Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera).
  • Gloria Gaynor (disco and gospel icon, known for “I Will Survive”).
  • Sylvester Stallone (actor, writer, director behind Rocky and Rambo).
  • George Strait (country “King of Country,” with over 100 million records sold).
  • KISS (rock band: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley).

Each honoree segment traditionally features surprise guest performers, collaborators, and younger artists covering their work.

How the performers line‑up works

At the Kennedy Center Honors, the “performers” most viewers talk about are:

  • Tribute singers, bands, and actors who perform medleys or scenes drawn from the honorees’ careers.
  • Presenters and friends who introduce each segment and sometimes join in on performances.

For 2025:

  • Expect Broadway and West End vocalists doing Crawford and Phantom material, plus other musical‑theatre highlights.
  • Gospel and pop voices are featured for Gloria Gaynor’s segment, often reimagining “I Will Survive” and her later gospel work.
  • Country stars and Nashville session players typically appear for George Strait’s tribute, performing his biggest hits in medley form.
  • Rock artists and younger bands usually turn up for KISS, leaning into stadium‑rock arrangements and visuals.
  • Stallone’s tribute leans more on film montages and live orchestral performances of his iconic themes (like the Rocky score) paired with actors who worked with or were influenced by him.

The exact full performer list for every individual song and segment is usually finalized close to taping and then revealed in broadcast credits and post‑event coverage.

Broadcast, host, and vibe

The 2025 gala took place on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at the Kennedy Center Opera House, with President Donald Trump presiding as chair and emcee figure for the evening. CBS scheduled the televised special for December 23, 2025, with streaming on Paramount+. The overall feel, according to arts coverage and reviews, blended high‑gloss musical tributes with a strong political undertone due to Trump’s prominent, hands‑on role in this year’s show.

Quick HTML table of key facts

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Honoree Field How they’re honored onstage
Michael CrawfordTheater / Musical Broadway/West End singers perform scenes and songs from his stage career, especially The Phantom of the Opera.
Gloria GaynorDisco / Gospel Pop and gospel vocalists reinterpret “I Will Survive” and her later gospel catalog.
Sylvester StalloneFilm Film clips, orchestral suites from the Rocky and Rambo scores, plus speeches from fellow actors.
George StraitCountry Music Country artists and house band perform medleys of his classic hits.
KISSRock Rock performers deliver high‑energy covers with big staging and lighting.

Little “Quick Scoop” context

  • The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors have drawn extra attention on forums and social media because of Trump’s visible involvement and the contrast between honorees like KISS and the traditionally more “establishment” flavor of the event.
  • Commenters are split: some love the big‑tent, pop‑culture‑heavy honoree list; others see it as leaning into spectacle and politics over subtlety.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.