The Woody Guthrie Center Presents Woody Guthrie Prize Honoring Mavis Staples

Phil Ochs to be posthumously honored with first-ever Woody Guthrie Legacy AwardGRAMMY winner Mavis Staples will be presented with the second annual Woody Guthrie Prize during a special evening in the Clive Davis Theater at the GRAMMY Museum on Wednesday, July 22. The prize is given annually to an artist who best exemplifies the spirit and life work of Woody Guthrie by speaking for the less fortunate through music, film, literature, dance, or other art forms, and serving as a positive force for social change in America. From the Delta-inflected gospel sound she helped create with The Staple Singers in the ’50s, to the engaged protest of the Civil Rights era, to No. 1 hits in the ’70s, Mavis Staples has been the solid rock of American music for over 60 years. She’s weaved herself into the fabric of soul, R&B, jazz, gospel, rock, and blues. Throughout her incredible six-decade career, Staples has worked with legendary artists Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, George Jones, Natalie Merchant, Prince and Bonnie Raitt, among many others.  In February 2011, after prior nominations in six categories (gospel, folk, blues, pop, rock, and Americana), she won her first GRAMMY Award for Best Americana Album for the Jeff Tweedy-produced You Are Not Alone (ANTI-).  Staples is currently in the midst of a U.S. tour with dates scheduled through November, including a stop at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California, on October 2 with GRAMMY-nominated artist Joan Osborne. The Woody Guthrie Prize event will also include the awarding of the first Woody Guthrie Legacy Award to the late singer/songwriter and civil rights activist Phil Ochs. The annual Woody Guthrie Prize is presented by the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in conjunction with the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE. Proceeds from the event support the Woody Guthrie Center, a 12-000-square-foot center featuring state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits on Guthrie’s life, art and creative legacy. The evening will feature an intimate discussion and performance featuring honoree Staples, hosted by Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum.