The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has revealed the recipients of the 49th annual Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing lifetime achievements in the performing arts. This year, the honorees are singer-songwriter Paul Anka, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia, playwright David Mamet and musician Barbara Mandrell.
The honorees will be celebrated during the Kennedy Center’s annual gala, which will take place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7.
As in previous years, many of the 2026 honorees have ties to Broadway. Early in his career, Anka made his Broadway debut as a 1964 replacement in the musical “What Makes Sammy Run?” In 1975, Anka held a 10-performance concert special at Broadway’s Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin Theatre). Later on, his music appeared in the musicals “Buddy” and “Come Fly Away.” Foster served as composer for the Broadway musical “Boop!,” earning a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Music. Songs Foster penned for Peter Allen and the band Earth, Wind and Fire also appeared in the jukebox musicals “The Boy from Oz” and “Hot Feet,” respectively.
Mamet is the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated playwright of “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which opened on Broadway in 1984. His other Broadway works include “American Buffalo,” “Speed-the-Plow,” which was nominated for the Best Play Tony in 1988, “November” and “Oleanna.” His play “The Cryptogram” was a Pulitzer finalist in 1995.
Although he has not appeared on Broadway, Garcia appeared in the movie musical “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” a sequel to the screen adaptation of the Main Stem musical “Mamma Mia!” He is also known for his role in the “Ocean’s Eleven” film franchise and was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role in “The Godfather Part III.” Mandrell is a country singer, musician, actor and television host. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music.
Since their founding in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have celebrated the lifetime achievements of influential American artists in theater, music, dance, opera, film and television. The 2026 Kennedy Center honorees were selected based on the recommendation of the Kennedy Center’s special honors advisory committee.
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