Bette Midler has been chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize.
Named after the late folk icon and presented by the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the award recognizes an artist “who best exemplifies Woody Guthrie’s spirit and work by speaking for the less fortunate through music, film, literature, dance or other art forms and serving as a positive force for social change.”
According to a press release, Midler is being honored for her work advocating for environmental conservation, LGBTQ+ rights and other humanitarian causes.
“I am so honored to have been chosen to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize this year. I loved his music, and I loved the way he lived his life, always seeking to spread the word that justice could and should be served and that every American, no matter what their station, deserved a fair shake in life,” Midler says. “To receive an honor bearing the name of a man who fought the giants with nothing but a guitar and a clean conscience is a humbling thing, and it serves as a stark reminder that a writer’s true business is always to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
“We are delighted to recognize Bette Midler with the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize and celebrate not only her remarkable artistic achievements, but also her enduring commitment to creating a more just, more inclusive and more hopeful world, just like Woody,” says Cady Shaw, senior director of the Woody Guthrie Center.
Midler will receive the Woody Guthrie Prize on Oct. 16 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. The evening, a fundraising event for the center, will include an intimate conversation between Midler and journalist Rona Elliott.
Past Woody Guthrie Prize winners include U2, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.
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