Pussy Riot will receive the Woody Guthrie Prize in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 6, and perform at the city’s Cain’s Ballroom that evening. The prize is given annually to an artist who “best exemplifies Guthrie’s spirit and work by speaking for the less fortunate through music, film, literature, dance or other art forms and serving as a positive force for social change.” The ceremony is part of the Woody Guthrie Center’s 10th anniversary celebration, which takes place from May 5 to 7.
Collective members Masha Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova will accept the prize and sit for an interview, before giving Pussy Riot’s multimedia piece Riot Days its U.S. premiere at Cain’s Ballroom.
Past recipients of the Woody Guthrie Prize include Chuck D, Bruce Springsteen, and Mavis Staples. “As artists who, like Woody Guthrie, have the courage of their convictions, there are no contemporary artists more worthy of this recognition than Pussy Riot,” said Cady Shaw, director of the Woody Guthrie Center. “They have paid a very personal price for speaking their minds on the most serious issues of our time, yet they continue to fight for justice and freedom.”
Jazz Monroe
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