Bette Midler Wins Woody Guthrie Prize, Performs Rewritten Protest Song in Matching T-Shirt

Bette Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize on Friday, Oct. 16 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and she made the moment count. Midler performed her updated version of Guthrie’s“All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)”while wearing a T-shirt bearing the song’s title, a rewrite she released on YouTube back in April with new lyrics co-written alongside Eric Kornfeld. In her speech, she framed justice as something that doesn’t always come from the courthouse, calling her updated song“my small contribution to the Resistance.”

Guthrie’s granddaughter Anna Canoni praised Midler for bringing Woody“back to the fight, back to the protest, the rallies, the ongoing struggle for democracy, and humanity.”The Woody Guthrie Prize honors artists whose work carries on Guthrie’s belief that music can drive social justice, and the recipient list backs that up: past honorees include U2, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Chuck D. The Tulsa evening also served as a fundraiser for the Woody Guthrie Center’s educational programs, concerts, and exhibitions.

Between the T-shirt, the speech, and the song, Midler turned an awards ceremony into a full statement about artists and activism. And with the center’s programs getting the fundraising boost, the night invested in whatever the next generation of protest music sounds like. Which protest or activist artist do you think is carrying the torch today? Tell us in the comments.