Bette Midler to Receive Prestigious Honor Previously Awarded to Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson, and John Mellencamp

Bette Midler will soon receive a major honor. The Woody Guthrie Center recently announced that they have selected the legendary entertainer as the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize recipient.

The Woody Guthrie Prize honors artists who exemplify Guthrie’s spirit and legacy. They do so by speaking out through music, film, literature, dance and other art forms. At the same time, recipients serve as a positive force for social change. Past recipients include Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, and Bruce Springsteen.

“I am so honored to have been chosen to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize this year,” Midler said. “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.”

“His integrity, his honesty and his moral compass inspired me and countless others to climb aboard his train, and to live our lives dedicated to the principles he taught us through his songs,” she continued. “In this world, there are the powerful and the powerless. He spoke to and for the powerless, turning the rough, bleeding edges of American life into a grand, ragged opera.”

Bette Midler Speaks Out About Receiving the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize

Midler further noted that “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.”

“The struggle for fairness and justice never ends,” she added. “He is one of the greatest Americans we were ever lucky enough to have among us to light the way.”

As for her favorite Guthrie song, Midler selected his 1940 track “I Ain’t Got No Home in This World Anymore.”

“It’s a snapshot of a certain time in America; a cold, hard wind howling through a boxcar door, a fierce and lonely whistle blown in the face of an indifferent world, an anthem of the dispossessed,” she explained. “I love it because it doesn’t ask for pity. It just states the facts, paints the story of the migrant and the outcast with unmatched clarity, and reminds us that in his day and ours, beneath the neon lights and boosterism, there is always a shadow army of the forgotten and Woody Guthrie was their ultimate, uncompromising scribe.”

Woody Guthrie’s Daughter Praises Bette Midler

Guthrie’s family expressed excitement about Midler’s selection. The late musician’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, celebrated Midler’s ability to “bring joy, laughter and love to the Good Fight!”

“Always on the side of people that are historically unseen or ignored, Bette brings all of them to our attention,” she added. “Using everything she’s got—a song, a dance, a film, a good joke—all her talents are directed towards one goal, to support the often precarious lives of others.”

Midler will officially receive her award at the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize event, which will take place on Oct. 16 at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The fundraiser will feature remarks from Cady Shaw, who is the Senior Director of the Woody Guthrie Center. Members of the Guthrie family will also speak.

Additionally, Midler will sit down for an intimate conversation with music journalist Rona Elliot. The evening will conclude with a special solo acoustic performance by rising country star Bryan Andrews.

“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,” Shaw said. “Her participation in this event, our most important fundraiser of the year, will ensure our educational programs, events and exhibits remain possible and accessible.”

Photo by JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP via Getty Images