The president announced the honorees include Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford and Kiss.

KISS – Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – are the sixth rock band to receive the Kennedy Center Honors as a group. In 2008, The Who became the first rock band to be honored. They were followed by Led Zeppelin (2012) Eagles, (2016), U2 (2022) and Grateful Dead (2024).