President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the newest Kennedy Center Honors nominees in Washington D.C., while also offering to host the iconic awards program later this year.
Among the list of honorees is "Rocky" and "Rambo" actor Sylvester Stallone, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band KISS, country music superstar George Strait, disco anthem "I Will Survive" singer Gloria Gaynor, as well as Broadway actor and singer Michael Crawford, best known for his role of "The Phantom" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera."
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The nominees are the first to be recognized since President Trump seized control of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, fired its board of trustees, and replaced them with loyalists. Prior to his second term, the organization's board had consisted of a mix of appointees from Democratic and Republican Presidents.
President Trump, however, has frequently criticized the center, claiming a day earlier that it "had fallen on hard times" before his takeover, but will soon be making a "MAJOR COMEBACK!"
"We have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution," he said Wednesday at the ceremony. "It was being run down. Money wasn't being spent properly. They were building things they shouldn't have built — that nobody wanted — instead of taking care of the great gem that it is."
"With a little fix up and a little work, we can make it unbelievable," President Trump added, while hinting at future renovations.
Last month, a House panel also voted to rename the Kennedy Center after First Lady Melania Trump — a move tucked into a broader government funding bill aimed at avoiding a potential shutdown in late September. The First Lady currently serves as the Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Center's Board of Directors.
RELATED STORY | Entertainers cancel shows at Kennedy Center after President Trump's takeover
Since President Trump's takeover of the center, several entertainers have cut ties and canceled shows. In February, Issa Rae canceled her sold-out show, "An Evening With Issa Rae," which was scheduled for March 16 at the venue.
“Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue,” the writer and actress wrote on Instagram.
Philadelphia-based rock band Low Cut Connie also canceled their show in March.
“I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution’s Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts,” Low Cut Connie founder Adam Weiner wrote on Instagram. “Upon learning that this institution that has run nonpartisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there.”
