Folk Singer-Songwriter Tom Morello Receives Woody Guthrie Prize

The spirit of Woody Guthrie was alive on Sept. 25, 2024, when the Oklahoma native, folk-songwriter, and activist was honored at Tulsa’s celebrated Cain’s Ballroom by an award and ceremony in his name. The Woody Guthrie Prize represents someone who shares similar values to Guthrie that he held during his lifetime.

This year’s Woody Guthrie Prize was presented by Guthrie’s granddaughter, Anna Canoni, and the director of Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center, Cady Shaw, to rock n’ roll guitar legend- Tom Morello. He receives the prize, in recognition of his work in activism.


The Woody Guthrie Prize ceremony kicked off with Cady Shaw, director of the Woody Guthrie Center, recounting stories from the life and legacy of the late folk singer and songwriter. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

According to the Woody Guthrie Center’s website, the prize is awarded “to an artist who best exemplifies Woody Guthrie’s spirit and work by speaking for the less fortunate through music, film, literature, dance, or other artforms and serving as a positive force for social change.”  Past prize winners include Pete Seeger, John Mellencamp, and Kris Kristofferson, whose passing occurred just three days after this year’s ceremony.


Acclaimed guitarist Tom Morello is the 2024 Woody Guthrie Prize recipient. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

Tom Morello is most notable for his unique, shredding-guitar sounds, and as a founding member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted, two-time Grammy-Award winning, and triple-platinum selling band, Rage Against the Machine. Morello’s heavy guitar playing is also heard in three studio albums over the span of six years in the rock band Audioslave, where he performed alongside the late Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden, on lead vocals; all three Audioslave albums were nominated for Grammy awards.

In addition to being a rock n’ roll guitarist, Morello is a folk singer/songwriter (known as the Nightwatchman), a political science graduate from Harvard University, political activist, philanthropist, author, and the host of a SiriusXM radio show, (One Man Revolution). Throughout his career, Morello has been outspoken on his left-wing ideology, often in the form of written messaging on his guitars, while performing in front of thousands of impressionable fans. Do not underestimate him just yet, though, he is also no stranger to picket lines, where he has shown his support for various causes around the world.

 He identifies as a socialist, who fights for the rights of the working class and the oppressed, referring to himself as “the Black Woody Guthrie,” and combats a wide range of social injustices, human rights violations, racial or economic inequality, and much more. He performed during the Occupy movements and co-founded Axis of Justice, a political group whose goal is to bridge the gap between music fans and political organizations, encouraging social justice and peace. “AOJ” is comprised of Morello and a string of other famous musicians, who released an album of the same name.

During his time with Rage Against the Machine, he and fellow bandmates protested the 2000 Democratic National Convention with a free show that was quickly shut down by police. In 2008, the band gave an impromptu performance, protesting the Republican National Convention, which too was quelled by authorities.


Tom Morello performs his original folk music at the Cain’s Ballroom under the moniker, “Nightwatchman.” (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

The award ceremony at Cain’s Ballroom was followed by a Q&A session between Tom Morello (right) with author and freelance journalist, Kim Kelly. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

As a part of the award ceremony, journalist Kim Kelly conducted a question-and-answer session with Morello. Kelly is a labor columnist for Teen Vogue, and a writer for In These Times. Following the Q&A, Morello gave a performance of his original “Nightwatchman” folk music (trading in his distorted electric guitar sound) and rocking a warm-toned, acoustic guitar.

 Kelly’s work can be found in many other prominent publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and Esquire, among countless others. Kelly started her journey as a music journalist, serving as heavy metal editor for the publication Vice. She released a book in 2022, “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor,” which Esquire included in “The Best Books of 2022.”

Having two previous generations of familial union roots, she herself is a union member, who helped organize the Vice Union and was elected as a councilwoman for the Writer’s Guild of America, where she served three terms.

The awareness and influence these two artists have spread over the course of their careers is invaluable to their various causes. As Morello humbly accepts his Woody Guthrie prize trophy, he recalls the moment that he realized people can create change through music, calling it “revelatory.”

Continuing to say, however, that “music can steal the spine of people who are doing the real work.” He believes that the excitement of a performance or specific artist can sometimes smother that passionate flame of protest, which brings the audience there in the first place, and claims to have seen it many times. Throughout his career- playing benefit concerts or protests, he likely experienced some fans who lost interest in the meaning of the occasion, over the excitement of the show.


“This is fantastic, and I’m saving a place on my mantle for this,” said Tom Morello on his receipt of the Woody Guthrie Prize. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

Morello gives praise to men and women activists around the world.                                   

“… but I don’t do s***, compared to the people who really do the grassroots work to change the world. I can help amplify their stories. I can help shine a light on their stories.”

Morello spoke about influencing real change in the world.

“Whatever your vocation is, don’t be afraid, or ashamed to work your convictions into it. Whether it’s music, whether it’s journalism, whether it’s lighting in a club, or whatever it is that you do, don’t leave behind who you are and what you do.”

Morello received the 2024 Music Will Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with public school “Modern Band” music programs across the country. He is also a recipient of the 2006 Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award for his work with Axis of Justice.

The economic struggles of early Americans like Woody Guthrie remain relevant and can be felt similarly by Americans today. It is through the power of art and music from artists like Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and so many more, that the Woody Guthrie Prize carries on their legacies and will distribute their calls for peace and equality to fans and activists alike for generations to come.

To learn more about the Prize, and future events at the Woody Guthrie Center, check out its website or find them on social media.


Woody Guthrie Prize awardee Tom Morello (l) signs an autograph for a fan. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

Tom Morello, the Woody Guthrie Prize honoree, performs his original “Nightwatchman” folk music at Cain’s Ballroom in September. (Photo by Blake Sullivan)

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