Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell Named 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees
Five artists will receive the Kennedy Center Honors this year. Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell are the honorees for the 49th ceremony, according to Variety, which reported the announcement from the Kennedy Center and President Donald Trump.
The ceremony is set for Dec. 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington. It will be the first Kennedy Center Honors held at the arena, which is a move from the centre's own stages. The Kennedy Center has not yet named a host for the evening, and it has not yet announced a broadcast partner to carry the show on television.
The venue change comes during a dispute over plans to demolish the Kennedy Center building itself. Reuters reported in October that the Honors were moving amid that fight.
Last year's ceremony was held on December 7 on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage. Its honorees were George Strait, KISS (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley), Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone. Richard Grenell is the president of the Kennedy Center. Reuters reported in December 2025 that Trump had a hand in choosing that year's winners.
The Kennedy Center describes the Honors as a way to recognise individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped the world. This year's list spans music, film, television and the stage. Anka and Mandrell are known for hit songs, Foster for his work as a producer and songwriter, Garcia for his acting, and Mamet for his plays and screenplays.
For the people who put the show together, the next six weeks are the busy stretch. Producers still need a host, a broadcast partner and a full run of rehearsals before the lights go up in December. Those announcements are the next things to watch.
