KISS has been chosen to receive the Kennedy Center Honors , which will be presented by United States President Donald Trump .
The award is an American honor, presented since 1978 by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts . Five artists from different categories are chosen each year based on their contribution to the performing arts in American culture.
Trump, after revealing a photo of KISS at the announcement ceremony, praised the four band members Gene Simmons , Paul Stanley , Peter Criss , and Ace Frehley . The president said they are "amazing" and hardworking people, according to Loudwire .
“KISS became a global phenomenon. They sold over 100 million records worldwide and produced 30 gold records. They made a fortune with everything else they produced,” Trump points out.
Trump also said that the band will do "something special." "They're going to do something very special, KISS will be here a little before the show, I think. They're going to do something special, we're going to have a good time."
Shortly after the announcement, the radio host took to X (formerly Twitter ) saying that, according to a "reliable source," the 4 members had agreed to participate, but that they would not be performing.
According to Deadline , Trump had criticized the Kennedy Center in the past, calling it "woke" and the honorees' selections those of "radical left lunatics."
The band's reaction to being nominated for the award.
Gene Simmons tells TMZ that KISS is the "embodiment of the 'American dream'" and that they are "incredibly honored."
Paul Stanley , who in the past said that Trump is "a real danger to our democracy," says that the band "from the earliest days has embodied the American ideal that anything is possible and that hard work pays off."
“The prestige of the Kennedy Center Honors cannot be put into words. And I accept this in the name of the long legacy of KISS and all the members who helped create our iconic band,” the artist concludes, via Classic Rock .
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