The Woody Guthrie Center has named entertainer and activist Bette Midler as the recipient of the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize. Midler will accept the honor on October 16 during an event at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The annual prize recognizes artists who use their platforms to advocate for social change and support humanitarian causes. Midler’s work over five decades spans music, film, and theater, alongside advocacy for environmental conservation, public health, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The October 16 ceremony will feature remarks from members of the Guthrie family and Woody Guthrie Center Senior Director Cady Shaw. The evening includes an on-stage conversation between Midler and music journalist Rona Elliot, followed by a solo acoustic performance by country artist Bryan Andrews.
Midler recently re-recorded Woody Guthrie’s song “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” in a collaborative release. In 1995, she founded the New York Restoration Project, an open space conservancy that maintains community gardens, manages parkland, and has planted over one million trees across New York City.
Ticket sales for the ceremony open exclusively to Woody Guthrie Center members on August 28. Proceeds from the fundraising event will support the center’s educational programs, public exhibitions, and community outreach.
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