U2 accept the Woody Guthrie Prize for 2025 in Oklahoma
U2‘s The Edge and Bono accepted the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on October 21st.
The ceremony took place in Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to organisers, each year the prize is awarded to “a recipient who embodies the spirit of Woody Guthrie’s social consciousness and musical legacy”.
Previous winners of the Woody Guthrie Prize include Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello, Chuck D and Joan Baez.
Prior to the event, Cady Shaw, senior director at the Woody Guthrie Center, explained why U2 are worthy winners, stating, “U2 embodies the mission of the Woody Guthrie Prize, using music to confront injustice and inspire action.”
Shaw continued, “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.”
While on stage ahead of performing, Bono said to those in attendance in Tulsa to a huge cheer, “We can’t forget, but we need to sometimes, and then, there’s other stuff you don’t want to, and we have to consciously work against history lest it repeat itself.”
He also said of the importance of the Guthrie clan in American cultural history, “If there was royalty in America, it’d be the Guthrie family. Quite like the Kennedys, well, most of them. Careful with that Camelot.”
The duo performed a stripped-back set, including performances of U2 classics ‘One’, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday‘, and ‘Running to Stand Still’. They also covered Guthrie’s song, ‘Jesus Christ’.
U2 have not performed a full-band set since they wrapped up their residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas in early 2024.
However, earlier this year, Bono did share a promising update on new music, revealing, “To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we’re in. We’ve been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we’re at the other end of it.”
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