Bette Midler accepts Woody Guthrie Prize in Tulsa on Friday
Bette Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa on Friday night, KTUL and the Tulsa World reported. She sang her own take on a Guthrie song, All You Fascists (Bound to Lose). Country singer Bryan Andrews also took the stage, KTUL and the Tulsa World reported.
Bette Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize on Friday night, October 16, at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, KTUL and the Tulsa World reported. The prize honors people who carry on the values of Guthrie, the Oklahoma-born folk singer, the Tulsa World reported.
Midler sang Guthrie's song "All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)" with new words of her own, KTUL and the Tulsa World reported. KTUL called it a surprise performance and dated the song to 1940. The Tulsa World reported that she added a line about the coming midterm elections. Midler later said the Guthrie family had approved her changes, the newspaper reported.
"Sometimes, as Woody taught us, justice comes from a beat-up guitar," Midler said after she accepted the award, the Tulsa World reported. KTUL carried a longer version of her remarks, which began, "Justice doesn't always come from the courthouse." She said she had taken his song and put new words in it "because the old fights came back in new suits," KTUL reported.
Country musician Bryan Andrews also performed, KTUL and the Tulsa World reported.
The evening also featured remarks from Woody Guthrie Center officials and Guthrie's granddaughter, plus a live interview with Midler led by a music journalist, the Tulsa World reported. In the interview, Midler criticized the president, raised concerns about artificial intelligence and urged people to vote, the newspaper reported. She accepted a silver guitar trophy and spoke about past jobs that included canning pineapples and working in a library, the Tulsa World reported. She also reminded the crowd that she has never said she is retired.
A senior director at the Woody Guthrie Center said Midler was surprised to be chosen and accepted with excitement, the Tulsa World reported. The director pointed to Midler's long work on environmental causes, LGBTQ rights and public health, the newspaper reported.
KTUL reported that the night included a silent auction with a signed ukulele from Midler's own collection, a signed lithograph and tickets to a coming concert in Tulsa.
What we know: Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize in Tulsa on October 16 and sang her version of All You Fascists (Bound to Lose).
What we don't: How much the silent auction raised.
Where outlets agree KTUL and the Tulsa World report that Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain's Ballroom on Friday night and sang All You Fascists (Bound to Lose), with Bryan Andrews also performing.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.