Kennedy Center's MAGA makeover backfires as honors show viewership crashes to all-time low
Chaos continues to engulf the Kennedy Center as its honors show suffered a devastating ratings nosedive in 2025, according to a new report.
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual award that recognizes lifetime achievements in the performing arts, including music, dance, theater, opera, film, and television. It was established in 1977 and honors five recipients each year at a gala held in the Kennedy Center's Opera House in Washington, D.C.
The 2025 edition honored George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone. It was hosted by President Donald Trump following his takeover and rebranding of the historic center to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
But the center has been beset by performance cancellations amid backlash over Trump's MAGA-fication of the center.
On Thursday, The Washington Post noted that its honors show drew just 3 million viewers — a whopping 25% drop from the previous year, which had already marked a record low.
The ratings catastrophe continues a downward spiral, as 2024 hit 4.1 million viewers, 2023 drew 4.5 million, and 2022 pulled 5.3 million. The report noted that the broadcast was delayed as the Dec. 7 ceremony didn't air until Dec. 23.
Kennedy Center officials tried to downplay the disastrous ratings, with Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the center, claiming they performed "despite industry and timing disadvantages" and that it was “a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias” to compare the 2025 ratings to previous years.
Daravi called the ceremony “a successful night.”