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Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell Named 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees

The Kennedy Center named five artists as its 2026 honorees on November 2. The December 7 ceremony will be held at Capital One Arena in Washington, the first time the event has taken place outside the Kennedy Center building.

By admin Nov. 3, 2026 · 9:48 AM ET 2 min read

An empty theater stage with a closed red curtain and rows of empty seats

The Kennedy Center named Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell as the recipients of the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors on November 2. The five will be honored at the 49th ceremony on December 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

It is the first time the ceremony will take place outside the Kennedy Center building. The Honors began in 1978 and recognize lifetime contributions to the performing arts, according to AARP.

A large modern arena building with glass walls lit up at dusk

President Donald Trump said in a statement: “We are recognizing amazing artists whose lifelong work has shaped American culture and inspired generations of audiences.” The move comes while the center’s main building is closed for renovations, USA Today reported, and a legal dispute over the building’s future continues.

The five honorees

Anka, 85, had his first hit at 16, singing “Diana” on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957. He later wrote the English lyrics to “My Way” for Frank Sinatra, and wrote the theme to The Tonight Show, according to AARP.

A vintage-style microphone on a stand on a dark stage under a spotlight

Foster, 77, has won 16 Grammy Awards. He cowrote and produced Chicago’s 1982 No. 1 hit “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and cowrote “I Have Nothing” for Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, AARP reported.

Violins and a cello resting on chairs on a stage

Garcia, 70, played George Stone in The Untouchables, a film written by fellow honoree Mamet, and earned a supporting actor Oscar nomination for The Godfather Part III, according to AARP.

Mamet, 78, won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for drama for Glengarry Glen Ross. His other plays include American Buffalo and Speed-the-Plow, AARP reported.

Mandrell, 77, played steel guitar as a child and toured with Johnny Cash before her own hits, including “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” In 1981 she became the first artist to win the Country Music Association’s entertainer of the year award two years in a row, according to AARP.

Last year’s class

Last year’s honorees were George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone, recognized in a December 2025 ceremony hosted by Trump that aired on CBS and Paramount+, USA Today reported.

Rows of red velvet theater seats facing a lit stage

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today and AARP.

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