How Bad Will the Kennedy Center Honors Be- Page 8

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/15/25 at 3:46pm

Interesting facts re: TKCH highest and lowest TV ratings:

• The lowest rating was in 2021 with 4.1M viewers. Joe Biden was president, and in attendance. As the previous president, Trump did not attend any of the previous four ceremonies. Recipients that year were: Lorne Michaels, Bette Midler, Justino Díaz, Joni Mitchell and Berry Gordy

• The highest rating came the following year (2022) with 5.34M viewers. Joe Biden was still president, and the recipients were: George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, Tania Leon, and U2.

Trump is predicting that the 2025 ceremony will be "the highest-rated show ever." If that prediction comes true, Trump will have succeeded in breaking Biden's record - but there's also the possibility for Trump to succeed in breaking Biden's alternate record for lowest ratings.

The show will air on CBS, Tuesday, Dec. 23, (8:00-10:30 PM, ET/PT).

I want to help Trump break Biden's record. I will neither tune in to CBS on the night of, nor watch on Paramount+ at any time in the near future.

I have no FOMO. The show has already been taped and edited. If there were anything that shouldn't be missed, it would have been publicized already. 

Instead, I'm going to treat myself to a night of Rob Reiner films starting with "Bullets Over Broadway" (I loved Reiner's role in that film), followed by "The Princess Bride" (if I can find it on streaming). If I can't find TPB, I have "...Spinal Tap" on DVD.

I hope that Trump will crush Biden's ratings record and that I will have played a small part in his success.

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/15/25 at 3:46pm

<forced page load>

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 2/27/26 at 6:43pm

I guess this was inevitable.

Washington Post:

The Kennedy Center Honors will continue during closure — with a new name

President Richard Grenell announced that the awards show would be moved to an alternate venue and be renamed the “Trump Kennedy Center Honors.”

 

 

[Ensemble1766327400]

Posted: 2/27/26 at 8:48pm

Until things change the word "Honors" should be regarded as a permanent stain on one's life. 

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 2/28/26 at 10:38am

maybe the new ceremony can be held in Iran.

[merle57]

Posted: 2/28/26 at 11:11am

This move effectively kills the Kennedy Center Honors.  The Kennedy family should demand their name be removed.  Lincoln Center should institute its own Arts Honors Award and restore a classy and respected honor to its rightful place.  

[DaveyG]

Posted: 2/28/26 at 11:32am

merle57 said: "This move effectively kills the Kennedy Center Honors. The Kennedy family should demand their name be removed. Lincoln Center should institute its own Arts Honors Award and restore a classy and respected honor to its rightful place."

Agreed. Let it rot as the Trump Honors. 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 2/28/26 at 11:56am

While certainly not the most pressing matter they should address, if Democrats regain the majority in one (or both) chambers of Congress, I do hope they launch investigations into the renaming, renovation, et al, and try to undo the damage Trump and Grenell have done.