Woody Guthrie Prize Honorees

Bono and The Edge will accept the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on behalf of U2 on Oct. 21 in Tulsa at Cain's Ballroom.

Today's announcement from the Woody Guthrie Center,  notes that 'the award 'recognizes a recipient who embodies the spirit of Woody Guthrie's social consciousness and musical legacy. In their art and in their actions, U2 band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. continue a tradition of using music as a force for social change, echoing Guthrie's belief that songs can help make the world a fairer place.'

Bono and Edge will return to Cain's Ballroom - for the first time since U2's 1981 show on the U.S. leg of The Boy Tour - to accept the award and participate in an onstage conversation about the band's music. They look forward to legally buying their own pints this time around. 

'U2 embodies the mission of the Woody Guthrie Prize, using music to confront injustice and inspire action,' states Cady Shaw, Senior Director, Woody Guthrie Center. 'By presenting the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize to U2, we honor a legacy of music that continues to challenge who we are and connect us the world over.'

U2's music celebrate the same ideals Woody Guthrie sang for: love, hope, justice, equity and the dignity of every person; from early works like 'War' and 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' — a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — to enduring anthems such as 'One' and 'Walk On.'

The fundraising evening on Oct 21 will also feature remarks from center director, Cady Shaw, and Woody Guthrie's granddaughter, Anna Canoni, who will share her family's appreciation of U2 as the standard bearers of Woody's legacy. 

The band will join past recipients Pete Seeger (2014), Mavis Staples (2015), Kris Kristofferson (2016), Norman Lear (2017), John Mellencamp (2018), Chuck D (2019), Joan Baez (2020), Bruce Springsteen (2021), Pussy Riot (2023) and Tom Morello (2024).

For more information, please visit www.woodyguthriecenter.org.