Sylvester Stallone among Kennedy Center honourees chosen by Trump

US President Donald Trump has announced that this year's Kennedy Center honours will include the action film star Sylvester Stallone, one of Hollywood’s best-known Catholics.

In a break with tradition, the US president will also host the award ceremony this December in Washington, DC, an event that is regarded as bestowing "one of the country's highest recognitions of artists", reports the BBC.

In addition to Stallone, it was also announced that this year’s Kennedy Centre honours will include stage actor Michael Crawford, singers George Strait and Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band KISS.

After returning to office, Trump fired the president of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as much of the board, and took on the role of its chairman, a move many criticised as political interference in the arts, the BBC notes.

During Wednesday's event, in which fabric draped over portraits was pulled away to reveal each artist being honoured, Trump said he was "98 per cent involved" in the selection of this year's honourees, adding: "I was very involved."

He also said that he had rejected prospective honourees who were deemed to be "wokesters". The US president has frequently taken aim at "wokeness" – generally regarded as meaning excessively progressive and liberal ideology – since returning to office, the BBC notes. It adds that Trump has criticised the Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, and other award and arts recognition ceremonies for being "too woke".

Trump also acknowledged during Wednesday's event that some selected artists had turned down the award, which the BBC says reflects "discontent over his leading the 54 year-old arts centre".

Stallone, who last appeared in the action crime thriller film Alarum, released at the start of this year, is reported to be a strong Trump supporter, and has extolled him as the "second George Washington", reports the BBC.

"Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I'm in awe," Stallone said of Trump's election victory in the US presidential race in November 2024.

Sylvester Stallone, best known for his Rocky and Rambo films, was baptised and raised a Catholic. His mother was a devout Catholic who attended Mass daily and endeavoured to raise the future movie star in the Faith. Stallone attended church regularly during his youth and was sent to Catholic school. 

But as his acting career progressed, he has previously spoken about how he stopped attending church, explaining that he had "lost his way" due to fame and fortune. 

His faith was rekindled after his eldest daughter, Sophia, was born in1996 with health problems, reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA). This led him to return to his Catholic roots and by 2006 he had become a practicing Catholic again.

Photo: A photo of actor Sylvester Stallone is revealed as US President Donald Trump announces the nominees for the annual Kennedy Center Honours during an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, 13 August 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.)

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