Joan Baez to receive Woody Guthrie Prize

Joan Baez is this year’s recipient of the Woody Guthrie Prize, in recognition of her "groundbreaking career and impact on humanitarian causes", as she "has consistently been on the front lines in the fight for social justice, peace, and equality”, Chicago Sun-Times reports. The prize was established in 2014 and is given each year to an artist who best exemplifies the spirit and life work of Woody Guthrie by speaking for the less fortunate and serving as a positive force for social change - past recipients include John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, Pete Seeger, and last year's winner, Public Enemy's Chuck D.