Bette Midler received the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain’s Ballroom, delivering a surprise performance of a Guthrie protest song and speaking on art, activism and resistance.
Bette Midler was presented with the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize on Friday night at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a ceremony that mixed conversation, fundraising and a pointed musical statement. The award recognises artists whose work and public stance reflect Woody Guthrie’s belief that music can drive social justice and change.
Midler accepted the prize from the Woody Guthrie Center and joined music journalist Rona Elliot for an on-stage discussion about art and activism. Later she brought the room to its feet with an unannounced performance of her own version of Guthrie’s 1940 song “All You Fascists (Bound to Lose).” The evening closed with a solo acoustic set from rising country artist Bryan Andrews.
The Woody Guthrie Prize seeks out performers who carry forward the folk icon’s conviction that songs can challenge power and lift communities. In presenting the honour, Woody Guthrie Center Senior Director Cady Shaw noted that Midler’s career has long balanced entertainment with a clear sense of public responsibility. “Beneath the glamour, the spectacular voice, and that sharp sense of humor is a woman who understands something Woody knew all along,” Shaw said. “That we all have a responsibility to leave this world a little better than we found it. And that is precisely what the Woody Guthrie Prize celebrates.”
Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter Anna Canoni also spoke, linking Midler’s recent recording of the protest song to the continuing relevance of her grandfather’s work.
“She woke up our neighborhood this year with her powerful rendition of All You Fascists (Bound To Lose),” Canoni said. “She brought Woody back to the fight, back to the protest, the rallies, the ongoing struggle for democracy, and humanity. We are absolutely honored that she has joined our remarkable community of artists who have also carried Woody’s words and music to the fight.”
Midler used her acceptance remarks to explain why she rewrote the song for the present moment. “Justice doesn’t always come from the courthouse,” she said. “Sometimes the law is late, overdressed, and on the wrong side. Justice comes from a beat-up guitar instead. So, when I wanted to say something about what I was seeing going on today, I took his song, and I put new words in its mouth, because the old fights came back in new suits. They always do.”
She continued: “Thank you for accepting me, and for letting me rewrite the song, that became my small contribution to the Resistance. We’re having a knife fight in a phone booth. These are hard and terrible times. A war is being waged against us, and we are all being drafted. Whether the letter arrives or not. Thank you for noticing that I showed up for duty.”
A silent auction ran throughout the night in support of the Center’s educational programs, public concerts and exhibitions. Items included a signed ukulele from Midler’s personal collection, other pieces from her archive, a signed Bob Dylan lithograph, rare prints, a premium package from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and tickets to an upcoming Garth Brooks show in Tulsa.
Bryan Andrews opened the musical portion of the evening with a selection of original material before leading the audience in Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” His setlist ran: Man in Black, Backwoods Backwards, Daughter’s Plea, Yeehaw, and This Land Is Your Land. Midler’s sole contribution was the rewritten “All You Fascists (Bound to Lose).”
The event served as both celebration and fundraiser. The Woody Guthrie Center uses such nights to sustain its work preserving Guthrie’s archives, staging public programs and keeping his songs and ideas in circulation for new generations. By choosing Midler, the Centre placed a high-profile entertainer with a long public record of advocacy alongside earlier recipients who have similarly treated music as more than entertainment.
Cain’s Ballroom, a venue with its own deep history in American popular music, provided a fitting setting. The night moved from conversation to performance without losing sight of the Prize’s purpose: recognising artists who treat their platform as a responsibility. Midler’s presence, her willingness to rewrite a protest song for contemporary ears, and the funds raised for the Center’s ongoing work all pointed back to that core idea.
The 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize now sits with an artist whose career has always mixed spectacle with substance. For those who follow both the music and the message, the Tulsa evening offered a clear statement of continuity: the fights change their clothes, the songs adapt, and the work continues.
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