The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual tribute, held since 1978, that celebrates lifetime achievements in the performing arts and their contributions to American culture, with a gala at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., honoring five recipients each December. Created by George Stevens Jr. and Nick Vanoff, the event has featured a rotating roster of hosts, including Leonard Bernstein (the first in 1978), Walter Cronkite, Caroline Kennedy, and Stephen Colbert, and is typically broadcast on CBS in an edited format after Christmas rather than airing live. The show has seen notable scheduling changes, such as the 2019 edition airing in early December and the 2020 ceremony being postponed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a historic first, the 2025 ceremony (held on December 7, 2025) was hosted by sitting U.S. President Donald Trump, marking the first time a president has hosted the event. Honorees are selected through public recommendations, with a Special Honors Advisory Committee and the executive committee of the board of trustees making the final decisions.