Joan Baez She is this year’s winner of the Woody Guthrie Award, in recognition of her “innovative career and impact on humanitarian causes.”
The legendary popular singer, activist, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will be presented on August 16 during a virtual edition of the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
The award was established in 2014 and is awarded each year to an artist who best exemplifies the spirit and work of life in Woody Guthrie speaking for the less fortunate and serving as a positive force for social change.
Báez “has consistently been at the forefront of the fight for social justice, peace and equality,” Woody Guthrie Center director Deana McCloud said in a statement.
Báez joins previous award winners, including John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, Pete Seeger, and last year’s winner, Public Enemy’s Chuck D.
“It has been my mission to use my music as a voice for those who cannot be heard or who have been silenced by fear and helplessness,” said Báez.
25th and last studio album by Báez Whistle in the Wind, their first new LP in almost a decade, arrived in early 2018.
Originally from New York, Báez was included in Rock Hall in 2017.
