LEILA FADEL, HOST:
President Trump has named this year's Kennedy Center honorees and announced he would host the ceremony himself.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
This presidential first follows Trump's takeover of the huge performing arts center in February. He ousted the former leadership, appointed loyalists to a board that's traditionally been bipartisan, and they voted him as chair. Past honorees of what amounts to annual lifetime achievement awards in the arts include Francis Ford Coppola, Aretha Franklin and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
FADEL: NPR correspondent Elizabeth Blair joins me now to walk us through yesterday's announcement. Good morning.
ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So earlier this year, Trump had floated a few names, like Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth, but they didn't make the cut, right?
BLAIR: That's right. This year's honorees are all living artists, as is tradition. There's disco pioneer Gloria Gaynor of "I Will Survive" fame, country megastar and proud Texan George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone who starred in "Rocky" and "Rambo," Broadway actor and singer Michael Crawford who originated the lead role in "Phantom Of The Opera," one of Trump's favorite shows, and the rock band Kiss.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE")
KISS: (Singing) I want to rock and roll all night.
FADEL: All right. So what's notable about these nominees?
BLAIR: Quite a bit. For example, George Strait is considered one of the great country storytellers. He's recorded dozens of hit songs, sold a gazillion albums and his concerts fill stadiums. Sylvester Stallone is a household name.
FADEL: Right.
BLAIR: He's been nominated for three Academy Awards. He made Rocky Balboa an iconic American character. But he is a Trump supporter publicly, and they are friends. Over the years, the Kennedy Center's tried to keep politics out of its programming and the honors event. That's one of the reasons there was traditionally a bipartisan board. Trump did not attend the honors during his first presidential term. At the press conference, this is what he said about getting so involved this year.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I shouldn't make this political because they made the Academy Awards political, and they went down the tubes. So they'll say, Trump made it political. But I think if we make it our kind of political, we'll go up, OK? Let's see if I'm right about that.
FADEL: OK, let's talk about the selection process. How are the honorees usually chosen?
BLAIR: Traditionally, artists are nominated by lots of different people - members of the Kennedy Center board, the general public and past honorees. And those honorees include Herbie Hancock, Renee Fleming, Sally Field, major artists across the performing arts. The president of the United States was never intimately involved the way Trump has been this year. He even joked about it.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: The Kennedy Center Honors have been among the most prestigious awards in the performing arts. I wanted one. I was never able to get one this year.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: It's true, actually. I would've taken it if they would've called me. I waited and waited and waited, and I said, the hell with it. I'll become chairman.
BLAIR: Trump said he rejected some candidates who he called wokesters, and he announced that he would host the honors gala in December.
FADEL: Anything else stand out to you?
BLAIR: What stood out is how much the president seems passionate about the performing arts. He spoke very warmly about each of the honorees, and it stood out because he has proposed eliminating the arts and humanities endowments that support music and theater and other arts programs across the country.
FADEL: Elizabeth Blair is a correspondent on the NPR culture desk. Thanks, Elizabeth.
BLAIR: Thanks, Leila. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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