The Kennedy Center has named the five artists who will receive the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors: singer and songwriter Paul Anka, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia, playwright David Mamet, and country singer Barbara Mandrell. The announcement came on Monday, November 2.
The 49th Kennedy Center Honors will take place on December 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It is the first time the ceremony will be held outside the Kennedy Center itself. The honorees were chosen on the recommendation of the center’s Special Honors Advisory Committee, according to the announcement.
Anka, 85, has worked in the music industry for almost 70 years. Mamet, 78, is a playwright, screenwriter, author, and director known for works including Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo. Foster, Garcia, and Mandrell round out a class spanning music, film, theatre, and television.
The ceremony arrives while the Kennedy Center building remains closed for renovation, amid a legal dispute over efforts to add President Donald Trump’s name to the institution. The Honors have recognised lifetime contributions to American culture since 1978.
Source: USA Today
