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Kennedy Center Sets 2026 Honorees: David Mamet, Paul Anka, Andy Garcia and More
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
New details confirm the 49th Kennedy Center Honors will take place at Capital One Arena on 7 December, the first time the ceremony has used that venue. Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell will be honoured for work across music, film and theatre, amid continuing political disputes over the Kennedy Center.
The honorees were announced later than usual, and organisers have yet to name a host or broadcast partner. CBS aired the event from its launch in 1978, but its rights expired in 2025; that year’s gala, hosted by Donald Trump, had a steep drop in viewership. The honorees include 16-time Grammy-winning composer Foster, Oscar-nominated actor Garcia and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Mamet.
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In short
- The honours move to Capital One Arena on 7 December.
- Five artists from music, film and theatre will be recognised.
- The host and broadcast partner have not been announced.
How this story developed
- 59 seconds ago New details confirm that the 49th Kennedy Center Honors will be held on 7 December at Capital One Arena, the first time the ceremony has used that venue.
- 3 minutes ago New details confirm the 49th Kennedy Center Honors will take place at Capital One Arena on 7 December, the first time the ceremony has used that venue.
- 59 minutes ago Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell will receive the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors, recognising their contributions to American culture.
- Rolling Stone Andy Garcia, David Foster, Paul Anka Lead Kennedy Center Honors
- Billboard Paul Anka, David Foster & Barbara Mandrell Are Among 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees: Complete List
- Stereogum Kennedy Center 2026 Honorees Include Paul Anka, Barbara Mandrell, David Foster
- Consequence David Mamet, Andy Garcia, Paul Anka Consent to Receive 2026 Kennedy Center Honors
- Deadline Kennedy Center Honorees Class Of 2026: Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet & Barbara Mandrell
- Variety Kennedy Center Sets 2026 Honorees: David Mamet, Paul Anka, Andy Garcia and More
- The Hill Kennedy Center to recognize Paul Anka, Andy Garcia, Barbara Mandrell at off-site Honors ceremony
Full account
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and President Donald Trump have announced the five recipients of the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors: singer and songwriter Paul Anka, composer and producer David Foster, actor and director Andy Garcia, playwright David Mamet, and country singer Barbara Mandrell. The awards recognise careers across music, theatre and film. The ceremony is scheduled for 7 December, the date used last year, but will move from the Kennedy Center’s Opera House to Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
The recipients have worked across several fields. Anka’s early hit “Diana” launched a career that also included writing “My Way” for Frank Sinatra and the theme for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. Foster, a 16-time Grammy winner, has composed for and produced a wide range of performers. Garcia earned an Academy Award nomination for The Godfather Part III and has worked as a director and music producer. Mamet is known for plays including Glengarry Glen Ross, while Mandrell is recognised for her country music career. Three of the five—Anka, Foster and Garcia—were born outside the United States.
The announcement included a statement from Trump praising the honorees’ influence on American culture. Unlike last year’s selections, which Trump presented at a live event, this year’s names were released in a statement. The Kennedy Center said the choices followed recommendations from its special honours advisory committee. The ceremony’s host and television broadcaster have not been announced. CBS carried the event from its start in 1978 through 2025, but its broadcast arrangement has ended.
The change of venue comes amid a period of dispute over the Kennedy Center’s leadership, name and future. The centre’s board has said the building needs an extensive closure and renovation; Trump has linked renovation plans to his effort to have his name added to the institution. The honours themselves will retain the Kennedy Center name. Coverage also looks back to the 2025 ceremony, hosted by Trump and featuring honourees including KISS, Sylvester Stallone and George Strait. Reports describe that broadcast as having lower viewership, while one outlet also notes that Tom Cruise reportedly declined an honour the previous year.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 says a federal judge ruled that only Congress could rename the Kennedy Center and later blocked another attempt to add Trump’s name; Source 4 characterises the effort as illegal. Those are the outlets’ framings, rather than a point stated uniformly across all reports.
Sources 1 and 4 describe the 2025 broadcast as a ratings disappointment. Source 3 gives the previous year’s honourees and says Trump claimed a major role in their selection, while Source 2 focuses on biographical details of the 2026 recipients.
Source 3 specifies Boeing as the gala’s exclusive underwriter, with Delta Air Lines and Tiffany & Co. as partners. The other reports do not include those sponsorship details.
Source 2 gives extensive career credits for the honourees, including Foster’s awards and Garcia’s recent film work; the other reports provide shorter biographies or place more emphasis on the centre’s political context.
Explained simply
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards recognising people for lasting contributions to American performing arts, including music, film and theatre. The ceremony is organised by the Kennedy Center, a performing arts institution in Washington, DC.
The honorees come from different fields: Paul Anka and Barbara Mandrell are singers, David Foster is a composer and producer, Andy Garcia is an actor, and David Mamet is a playwright. Their selection brings together careers in popular music, country music, film and theatre.
The ceremony has traditionally been broadcast on television, with CBS showing it from its launch in 1978 until its rights expired in 2025. The Kennedy Center has also faced political disputes, making questions about the event’s venue and broadcast arrangements part of wider attention on the institution.
Coverage · 7 sources
- VarietyKennedy Center Sets 2026 Honorees: David Mamet, Paul Anka, Andy Garcia and More
- Rolling StoneAndy Garcia, David Foster, Paul Anka Lead Kennedy Center Honors
- BillboardPaul Anka, David Foster & Barbara Mandrell Are Among 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees: Complete List
- StereogumKennedy Center 2026 Honorees Include Paul Anka, Barbara Mandrell, David Foster
- ConsequenceDavid Mamet, Andy Garcia, Paul Anka Consent to Receive 2026 Kennedy Center Honors
- DeadlineKennedy Center Honorees Class Of 2026: Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet & Barbara Mandrell
- The HillRightKennedy Center to recognize Paul Anka, Andy Garcia, Barbara Mandrell at off-site Honors ceremony
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