Bette Midler Accepts 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize & Sings a Protest Song

Key Points:

• Bette Midler received the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she performed her updated version of Woody Guthrie’s 1940s protest song “All You Fascists (Bound to Lose),” highlighting contemporary social justice issues.
• Midler emphasized the importance of music as a form of justice and resistance, stating that sometimes justice comes from a “beat-up guitar” rather than the courthouse, and described her rewritten song as her contribution to the ongoing fight for democracy.
• The Woody Guthrie Prize honors artists who use their work to promote social justice and meaningful action, with the Woody Guthrie Center recognizing Midler for embodying this spirit through her activism and artistic contributions.
• The event included a silent auction featuring items from Midler’s collection and other memorabilia, as well as performances by rising country artist Bryan Andrews, and served as a fundraiser for the center’s educational and cultural programs.
• Midler, an acclaimed artist with multiple Grammy, Emmy, and Tony awards, has been outspoken in her activism, and her receipt of the Guthrie Prize underscores her role in continuing Guthrie’s legacy of using music to inspire social change.