President Donald Trump on Wednesday named country music star George Strait, "Rocky" actor Sylvester Stallone, and singer Gloria Gaynor among the first batch of Kennedy Center Honors nominees under his leadership as the center's chairman. He also said he will host the awards program.
The remaining two honorees are the rock band KISS and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
Trump did not attend Kennedy Center Honors during his first term after some artists said they would not attend in protest.
This year, Trump took over as the Kennedy Center's chairman, replaced its board of trustees, and named longtime ally Ric Grenell as the center's interim executive director.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump teased a name change for the center, formally the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and said it would be restored to its past glory.
"GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS," Trump wrote. He said work was being done on the site that would be "bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment."
"It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!" he wrote.
In a statement on its social media feed, the Kennedy Center said it is "honored" to host Trump, who will be visiting for the third time since January, and hinted that he would announce a construction project.
"Thanks to his advocacy, our beautiful building will undergo renovations to restore its prestige and grandeur," the venue said. "We are also excited to be announcing this year's INCREDIBLE slate of Kennedy Center Honorees."
Trump during a March visit said the building is in a state of "tremendous disrepair." On Wednesday he repeated his concern about the building's repair, but praised its "good bones."
The Kennedy Center Honors were established in 1978 and have been given to a broad range of artists.
Since taking office for a second time, Trump has taken a more active role at the Kennedy Center and gotten involved in its governance. Besides naming himself chairman and replacing the board, he also has indicated he would take over programming decisions.
House Republicans added an amendment to a spending bill that Trump signed into law in July to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House after Melania Trump, but that has not yet occurred.
Recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors are given a medallion on a rainbow ribbon, a nod to the range of skills that fall under the performing arts.
This report contains material from The Associated Press.