The 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize celebration, hosted by the Woody Guthrie Center, brought together music legends and guests in Tulsa to honor the spirit of folk icon Woody Guthrie. The recipient this year was the world-renowned band U2, represented by Bono and The Edge, who accepted the award and participated in an on-stage conversation about art and activism with legendary producer and musician T Bone Burnett. The evening included a surprise six-song performance from Bono and The Edge.
SETLIST:
- “Running to Stand Still” (with snippet of “Bound for Glory” by Woody Guthrie)
- “Mothers of the Disappeared”
- “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
- “One”
- “Pride (In the Name of Love)” (with snippet of “Jesus Christ” by Woody Guthrie)
- “Yahweh”
QUOTES:
– Bono
- “Bob Dylan really did bring us to the place where the song was an instrument to open up worlds. And the world of Woody Guthrie, I wouldn’t have entered if not for Bob.”
- “America is the greatest song still yet to be written. The poetry is there but it’s still being written… don’t imagine it will continue to be extraordinary on its own, that if you fell asleep and woke up in twenty years, the world would be fairer or freer. It won’t, that’s not the way it works.”
– The Edge
- “Our favorite protest songs always had a sense of vision, something to aim for…you don’t talk about the darkness, you make the light brighter”
- “I believe music can actually change the mood of the room and actually shift a culture.”
– Anna Canoni
- “Woody and U2 have been aligned for decades… Whether it is protesting against war and violence, standing up for humanitarian rights, singing about greed, corruption and injustice”
The Woody Guthrie Prize seeks to recognize artists who reflect Woody Guthrie’s belief that music can be a force for social justice and change. By honoring U2, the Woody Guthrie Center underscores the enduring relevance of that legacy in today’s global music and activism landscape. The event not only celebrates artistic achievement but also raises critical funds to fuel the center’s mission of education, public programs and preservation of Guthrie’s message for future generations.
Website: https://woodyguthriecenter.org
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