Tom Cruise declines Donald’s Trump’s offer for Kennedy Centre award: Report

Tom Cruise isn’t adding a Kennedy Center medal to his list of accolades this year.

The Hollywood star, 63, was reportedly on the shortlist for the 48th Kennedy Center Honours but declined the offer due to “scheduling conflicts,” The Washington Post reported after speaking with multiple current and former Kennedy Center employees. A spokesman for Cruise declined to comment to the outlet.

President Donald Trump, who appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center earlier this year, revealed the honourees on August 13.

“Today, President Donald J. Trump proudly unveiled the honourees of the 48th Kennedy Center Honours, recognising an extraordinary group of artists whose talents have shaped American culture and entertained generations,” read a statement on the White House website.

The 2025 honourees include George Strait, Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor and Kiss.

Trump said he was “very involved” in the selection process. “I would say I was about 98 percent involved. They all went through me,” he told reporters, adding, “I had a couple of wokesters. Now, we have great people. This is very different from it used to be, very different.”

While Cruise passed on this year’s recognition, he isn’t walking away empty-handed. In June, the Academy announced he will receive an honorary Oscar for his contribution to the film industry at the Governors Awards on November 16, 2025.