Kiss were officially recognised in Washington this weekend as part of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, with the band’s surviving original members receiving their medals directly from U.S. president Donald Trump.
The presentation took place inside the Oval Office on December 6, marking a rare collision of rock theatrics and presidential formality.
This year’s honourees also include Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford. During the ceremony, Trump described the group of recipients as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”
For Kiss, the moment was both celebratory and bittersweet. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss attended the presentation, while Monique Frehley accepted the medal on behalf of her father, the late Ace Frehley.
Trump referred to KISS as an “incredible rock band,” pausing to acknowledge Ace, “who now is resting in peace,” before adding that the guitarist’s “beautiful daughter is here to accept the award.”
One of a kind
Ace’s posthumous honor places him among a small group of artists who have been recognised after passing away. Billboard reports he is only the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, following similar recognitions for Glenn Frey of Eagles and Phil Lesh of Grateful Dead.
When Ace died, Simmons shared a deeply personal tribute, “Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on… No one can touch Ace’s legacy… Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!”
Kiss first learned of the honor earlier this year when Trump announced the 2025 class in August. At the time, Simmons called the recognition “the embodiment of the American Dream,” while Stanley said the award reflects the band’s belief that “all things are possible and that hard work pays off.”
Frehley had described the honor as “a dream come true that I never thought would materialize,” and Criss called it “the greatest honor of our career.”
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