KISS have said they “feel so blessed” to accept the Kennedy Centre Honor from President Donald Trump.
The band are among the list of honorees selected by the Trump administration this year, with others including Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, country star George Strait and stage and sitcom actor Michael Crawford.
The prize is awarded to figures in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture, and Trump will personally host this year’s event on December 7.
In 2021, KISS frontman Paul Stanley described Trump as “abhorrent” and “a true danger to our democracy”, but now, the singer has spoken of his pride in accepting the honour.
“From our earliest days, KISS has embodied the American ideal that all things are possible and that hard work pays off,” he told TMZ. “The prestige of this Kennedy Center Honors cannot be overstated and I accept this on behalf of the long legacy of KISS and all of the band members who helped create our iconic band”.
Stanley has also criticised members of the Republican party in the past for not speaking out against Trump after he refused to accept defeat in the 2020 presidential election. “Their silence is a choice and not sharing their opinion is a coward’s way out,” he said. “It feeds the mistrust that eats at the core of this country I love”.
Bassist Gene Simmons has also responded to the honour, writing: “KISS is the embodiment of the American dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor”.
Drummer Peter Criss added: “I feel so blessed. This is the greatest honour of our career”. Founding guitarist Ace Frehley also described it as “a dream come true that I never thought would materialize”.
Unlike Stanley, Frehley has been supportive of Trump in the past. “I will say I’m a Trump supporter,” he said in 2020. “All the politicians have had skeletons in the closet. But I think Trump is the strongest leader that we’ve got on the table.”
Elsewhere, Ghost’s Tobias Forge recently hit back at Simmons’ assertion that “rock is dead”, arguing that new bands will continue to rise to the top.
Nick Jonas is also reportedly being tapped to portray Stanley in an upcoming KISS biopic, Shout It Out Loud.