Andy Garcia, David Foster, Paul Anka, David Mamet, and Barbara Mandrell have been named the recipients of the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors. The 49th class of honorees were announced by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees and President Trump on Monday.
The recipients receiving the lifetime achievement award are considered among the most influential in the world among the disciplines of music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures and television. The gala ceremony celebrating the honorees will take place at Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 7.
“We are recognizing amazing artists whose lifelong work has shaped American culture and inspired generations of audiences,” Trump said in a statement. “We are proud to honor this year’s class and to continue a tradition that has defined the Center for nearly 50 years.”
Andy Garcia is being honored for his work as an actor and director, as well as for his achievements as a music producer. A recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and having received lifetime achievement awards from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors and the Imagen Foundation, he was also nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Vincent Corleone in The Godfather: Part III. This year, his film Diamond, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He co-wrote the score with longtime collaborator, Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
Foster is just shy of EGOT status having won 16 Grammy Awards, one Emmy, and one Golden Globe; he has been nominated for three Oscars. The celebrated composer has collaborated with a host of artists including Barbra Streisand; Whitney Houston; Michael Jackson; Madonna; Andrea Bocelli; Chicago; Rod Stewart; Stevie Wonder; Earth, Wind & Fire; Toni Braxton; Natalie Cole; Michael Bolton; Seal; Chaka Khan; Kenny Rogers; Dolly Parton; Hall & Oates; Brandy; ’N Sync; Boz Scaggs; and Gloria Estefan. Foster composed the music to the Broadway musical Boop! The Musical, an adaptation based on the beloved animated character Betty Boop, which opened on Broadway in 2025 and is heading on a national U.S. tour.
Anka, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, had his first hit at the age of 15 with 1957’s “Diana.” Among his many career highlights, he wrote “My Way” for Frank Sinatra and the theme song for “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson,” making history as the longest-running theme on television. Anka wrote for Connie Francis, Lesley Gore, and Buddy Holly as well. He released his latest album, Inspirations of Life and Love this year.
Renowned playwright, screenwriter, director and author Mamet is also being recognized for his career, which has spanned more than five decades. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his play Glengarry Glen Ross. He was nominated for Oscars for his screenplays The Verdict and Wag the Dog. He has also written and directed films such as Homicide, The Spanish Prisoner, and State and Main, alongside penning numerous novels and nonfiction books.
Multi-instrumentalist Mandrell began playing the accordion before moving on to steel guitar, all by the time she was age 11. By the time she was a teenager, she was touring with The Johnny Cash Show. Her first hit was her rendition of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” and it was followed by several Number One hits, including “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed,” “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” She received many accolades over her career, including winning Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year twice, and being inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999, two years after she officially retired. In 2000, she was the recipient of the Academy of Country Music’s Pioneer Award. In 2009, Mandrell became the only woman to be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2014, Mandrell was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.
