Famed Irish rock group U2 was honored Tuesday night with the Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain’s Ballroom.
Bono and The Edge accepted the award on behalf of the band for many decades of activism tied to their music careers.
Anna Canoni, Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter, introduced the band members.
“Woody and U2 have been aligned for decades,” she said. “They use their music to demand justice.”
U2 made their name in part by challenging power and they haven't changed much in that respect. Bono has criticized Trump for causing "unbelievable carnage" and in May defended Bruce Springsteen as "the only Boss in America" after the president blasted the New Jersey native for critical comments.
Following a performance, Bono and The Edge sat down for a discussion with record producer Joseph "T Bone" Burnett.
The contrarian spirit of Woody Guthrie was present during the talk, with Burnett taking shots at the Trump administration's claim that a girlfriend of the founder of antifa was arrested.
“I thought the founder of antifa was Woody Guthrie.”
Bono recited lyrics to a new song he said he wrote about Awdah Hathaleen, the Palestinian filmmaker who was killed by Israeli settlers. His film “No Other Land” won an Academy Award.
Cady Shaw, executive director of the Woody Guthrie Center that bestows the prize, said U2 was more than deserving to the award selection committee.
She said Guthrie’s messages of protest through his art is more relevant today than ever.
“We’re still dealing with issues of social justice, voter rights, racial justice, equality,” she said. “Woody very much spoke about those things.”
Recent cutbacks to federal programs supporting the arts and museums have hit many institutions hard.
Shaw said the Woody Guthrie Center is more well-equipped to handle those cutbacks than others.
“Museums are important, not just for bringing art in,” she said. “They’re also important as community connectors.”
