At the Kennedy Center Honors, Garth Brooks Delivered a Performance That Wasn’t About George Strait. ML

You’d think if Garth Brooks walked into a room where George Strait was being honored, he’d be first in line to sing his praises.

But that ain’t how it went down at the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2025. Strait may have been the King of the Night, but Brooks was not there to tip his hat to country royalty. Instead, he took the stage to shred a tribute for rock legends KISS while George Strait’s actual tribute was left in the hands of other country stars. And that left a whole lot of folks doing a double-take.

The Kennedy Center Honors has always been known for honoring legends across all genres, and this year’s lineup was stacked. George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, KISS, and Michael Crawford were among the chosen few. And while Strait finally got the nod after more than 60 number one hits, more awards than anyone else in the format, and a decades-long reign as the unshakable King of Country, it was Garth Brooks who shocked the room by turning up in full formal gear, ready to honor someone else entirely.

The crowd probably expected Garth to sing “The Chair” or “The Cowboy Rides Away” in Strait’s honor. But nope. That gig went to Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn, and Miranda Lambert. Gill opened the tribute with “Troubadour,” Brooks & Dunn nailed “Amarillo By Morning,” and Miranda closed the medley with a powerful take on “Run,” earning one of the night’s loudest cheers.

Meanwhile, Garth stepped up to the mic later in the night to honor a band that doesn’t even share his zip code in sound. KISS, the face-painted gods of glam rock, got a hell-raising tribute from the man who usually sings about rodeos and broken hearts. And to his credit, Garth leaned into the moment hard. He ripped into “Shout It Out Loud” like it was the Houston Rodeo, and had the KISS boys up in the President’s box nodding along like proud parents. Even Gene Simmons had already tipped his hat to Brooks, saying Garth would “knock it out of the park.” And by the looks of it, he did just that.

So why was Garth slinging rock instead of country? It wasn’t a snub to Strait, at least not officially. The Kennedy Center organizers are known for mixing things up. Instead of playing it safe with genre-based pairings, they went with unexpected matchups this year. Brooks honoring KISS made no sense on paper, but on stage, it was pure showmanship. And Garth made it work, because that’s what entertainers do.

Strait, for his part, looked every bit the legend. When he took his hat off for President Trump to place the medal around his neck, even the President joked about how Strait still had a full head of hair. The audience laughed, but the moment was bigger than that. It was about honoring the man who helped build the foundation modern country still stands on.

Sure, Garth and Strait are country giants, and fans probably expected one to honor the other. But Garth took a different route, one that crossed genre lines and paid respect in his own way. Maybe next time, he’ll show up for Strait. But for now, he’s got bragging rights for rocking the Kennedy Center in honor of a band that wears platform boots and spits fire on stage.

The 48th Kennedy Center Honors airs December 23 on CBS and Paramount+, and whether you came for the cowboy or the face paint, one thing’s clear. Country didn’t just show up that night. It dominated, even when it took a wild turn no one saw coming.