KISS Finally Gets the Kennedy Center Honors Treatment in 2025

Kiss was honored at the Kennedy Center on Saturday, receiving their medals directly from President Trump during a presentation in the Oval Office.

A video of the moment shows the band accepting the awards. This year’s class of honorees also included George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone.

“These are incredible people — among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers and songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth,” President Trump remarked, adding that “billions and billions of people have watched them over the years.”

A Ceremony Filled With Tributes

The official Kennedy Center event took place on Sunday night in Washington, D.C., where Kiss’ surviving members — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss — walked the red carpet. Their longtime guitarist Ace Frehley died in October at age 74.

Speaking about Frehley, Stanley told NPR, “We can mourn him, and celebrate what we accomplished.”

Simmons noted during a red carpet interview that he has known President Trump for more than 20 years, pointing out that both grew up in Queens. “Whether you’re a fan of the president or not, he’s never boring,” Simmons told The New York Times. “The worst thing is to have some bloated person get up there and make long speeches. No matter what he does, this president’s going to be entertaining.”

Performances for the Band

During the ceremony, Garth Brooks honored Kiss with a short speech praising their iconic makeup, calling it a defining part of their image, before performing “Shout It Out Loud” from the band’s 1976 album Destroyer.

“I see some faces of confusion,” Brooks joked from the stage, reassuring the crowd that he was indeed celebrating the right honoree. He added, “You take the stage in front of people you don’t know. You bare your soul not knowing what you’re going to get back. That takes courage, people. Now try that in six-inch platform shoes.”

Cheap Trick closed out the evening with a performance of “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

A First for the Honors

This year’s Kennedy Center Honors stood out as the first in which a sitting president not only attended but personally hosted the event.

The 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS on Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 8:00 to 10:30 PM ET/PT.