Bono and The Edge will accept the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on behalf of U2 on October 21 in Tulsa at Cain’s Ballroom.
This prestigious award annually recognizes a recipient who embodies the spirit of Woody Guthrie's social consciousness and musical legacy. In their art and in their actions, U2 band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. continue a tradition of using music as a force for social change, echoing Guthrie’s belief that songs can help make the world a fairer place.
Bono and The Edge will return to Cain’s Ballroom - for the first time since U2’s 1981 show on the U.S. leg of The Boy Tour - to accept the award and participate in an onstage conversation about the band’s music. They look forward to legally buying their own pints this time around.
“U2 embodies the mission of the Woody Guthrie Prize, using music to confront injustice and inspire action,” states Cady Shaw, Senior Director, Woody Guthrie Center. “By presenting the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize to U2, we honor a legacy of music that continues to challenge who we are and connect us the world over.”
Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 has built a career rooted in songs and music that celebrate the same ideals Woody Guthrie sang for: love, hope, justice, equity and the dignity of every person; from early works like ‘War’ and ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ — a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — to enduring anthems such as ‘One’ and ‘Walk On.’
The recipients of Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, which recognizes individuals and groups who have promoted and enhanced the cause of human rights, the four U2 band members have long used their platform as artists to highlight social issues and effect change. From their support of organizations such as (RED) and The ONE Campaign (both co-founded by Bono) and Music Rising (co-founded by The Edge) among many others, to the co-funding of Music Generation, Ireland’s National Music Education Programme which transforms the lives of children and young people through access to high quality subsidized performance music education.
The fundraising evening will also feature remarks from center director, Cady Shaw, and Woody Guthrie's granddaughter, Anna Canoni, who will share her family’s appreciation of U2 as the standard bearers of Woody’s legacy. U2 will join past recipients Pete Seeger (2014), Mavis Staples (2015), Kris Kristofferson (2016), Norman Lear (2017), John Mellencamp (2018), Chuck D (2019), Joan Baez (2020), Bruce Springsteen (2021), Pussy Riot (2023) and Tom Morello (2024).
A limited number of experience packages will be available for sponsors and members of the Woody Guthrie Center.
The 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize is presented by the Harper House Music Foundation.
About U2
Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 have toured the globe countless times, released 15 studio albums, sold over 170 million albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience award. Acknowledged as one of the best live acts in the world, U2 have consistently pushed the boundaries of live performance, with ground-breaking stage shows that embrace the latest in technology and innovation most recently with ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere’ which lit up Las Vegas for an acclaimed 40-date run to launch the world’s most state-of-the-art venue, Sphere.
About Woody Guthrie Center
The Woody Guthrie Center, located at 102 Reconciliation Way in Tulsa, OK, celebrates the life, music and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world in which the values of justice, equality and compassion prevail. The center honors Guthrie’s life and legacy by educating visitors, teachers, students and scholars about his relevance today and his important role in American history through on-site programming, classroom materials, youth music programs, artist-in-residence programs, school outreach, internships, fellowship opportunities and the Woody Guthrie Center Archives.
