THE KENNEDY CENTER, the US national cultural centre, has announced its first honourees since President Donald Trump removed the board and installed himself as chairman.

The honourees this year are: 

• Veteran US country singer George Strait
• Actor Michael Crawford (in more recent decades a big star on Broadway – but probably still best known here as the hapless sitcom character Frank Spencer) 
• Sylvester Stallone
• Rock group KISS 
• Disco legend Gloria Gaynor 

Performers who have made an impact on American performing arts and culture are honoured each year by the national cultural centre, located in Washington DC. 

Today, Trump opened the event by claiming he initially did not want to be involved in this year’s announcement. He said he later changed his mind and went onto remove the board and appoint members of his cabinet alongside him.

He individually honoured each recipient today. Trump said he was “98% involved” and “very involved” in the selection of the honourees.

Following the announcement of the honourees, the US President said: “We have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution.”

Sylvester Stallone is unveiled by President Donald Trump to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honours. Alamy Alamy

Trump added: “This is very different than it used to be. These are great people. I don’t have any idea if they are Republican.”

He said that the US National Concert Hall, where the centre is based, will be revamped while he is chairman. The former chairman, philanthropist David Rubenstein, has been cited as a former ally of Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden.

During his first term, it was requested that Trump not attend the event over concerns that the event would be politicised. He today claimed that if the board “make it our kind of political, [ratings] would go up”.