Sylvester Stallone Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The first honorees for the revamped Kennedy Center Honors have been unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is also the new chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This year's honorees include Rocky star and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone; disco-era singer Gloria Gaynor; the rock band Kiss; Michael Crawford, the British star of Phantom of the Opera; and country crooner and songwriter George Strait. Stallone was earlier named by Trump as one of his ambassadors to Hollywood. "He's a very special guy. A real talent, never been given credit for the talent," Trump added about the Hollywood actor during an hourlong press conference Wednesday. Related Stories General News Jimmy Kimmel Says He Got His Italian Citizenship Amid Trump Presidency TV Kristi Noem Fires Back at 'South Park' for Mocking Her Looks The president also recalled Crawford making his Broadway debut in 1967. "I was there. I shouldn't say that. But I was there. Seems like a long time ago," Trump added. Trump, when answering media questions, insisted he was "98 percent involved" in the selection process of the Kennedy Center honorees. "I had a couple wokesters. No, these are great people. It's very different than it used to be," he added. The first batch of Kennedy Center honorees named follows the the John F. Kennedy Center having been retooled after Trump took control of the institution at the start of his second term. Trump fired its entire board, then replaced them with loyalists including Susie Wiles, his chief of staff; Second Lady Usha Vance; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's wife, Allison; and Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up THR, Esq Harvey Weinstein Awaits Possible Retrial on Rape Charge in New York music K-pop Rookies AtHeart on Their Debut EP 'Plot Twist,' Working with Katie Kang and Getting Some Valuable Advice From Girls Generation's Sooyoung Spotify Spotify Secures Direct Licensing Deal With Kobalt Zoe Kravitz Zoë Kravitz Recalls Almost Losing Mom's Pet Snake in Taylor Swift's House: "I Was Panicking" THR, Esq Daryl Hall and John Oates Legal Dispute Ends in Arbitration Sarah Silverman Jimmy Kimmel Says He Got His Italian Citizenship Amid Trump Presidency THR, Esq Harvey Weinstein Awaits Possible Retrial on Rape Charge in New York music K-pop Rookies AtHeart on Their Debut EP 'Plot Twist,' Working with Katie Kang and Getting Some Valuable Advice From Girls Generation's Sooyoung Spotify Spotify Secures Direct Licensing Deal With Kobalt Zoe Kravitz Zoë Kravitz Recalls Almost Losing Mom's Pet Snake in Taylor Swift's House: "I Was Panicking" THR, Esq Daryl Hall and John Oates Legal Dispute Ends in Arbitration Sarah Silverman Jimmy Kimmel Says He Got His Italian Citizenship Amid Trump Presidency