Woody Guthrie will be the recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's inaugural Pioneer Award, to be presented at the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 14, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Pioneer Award was established in 2012 to honor the career of a historic creator of a major body of musical work that has been a major influence on generations of songwriters. On the acclaimed Mermaid Avenue albums, Billy Bragg and Wilco put music to lyrics by Guthrie for which he had not written music or made recordings; Nonesuch Records released Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions—the original two volumes, a third volume of previously unreleased recordings, and a documentary on the sessions—last month in honor of Guthrie's centenary.

“This year, we join musicians and songwriters from around the world in celebrating Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday,” commented Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb. “One of the great songwriters of all time, we look forward to acknowledging his brilliance with the first-ever Songwriters Hall of Fame Pioneer Award.”

Guthrie, who died in 1967, at the age of 55, wrote more than 3,000 songs throughout his career, including American staples “This Land Is Your Land,” “This Train Is Bound For Glory,” “Pastures of Plenty” and “Pretty Boy Floyd.” First known as “the Dustbowl Balladeer,” his musical and compositional style has influenced generations of contemporary songwriters in every genre, from folk to rock. Recognized for his monumental contributions and achievements in American culture, Guthrie was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1977, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 1999 he was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, to commemorate what would be Guthrie’s centennial year, Woody Guthrie Publications and the Grammy Museum are collaborating on a year-long celebration from California to the New York Island and across the pond, with concerts, exhibits, educational conferences and album releases, among other honorary celebrations.

Billy Bragg has just launched the European leg of his tour celebrating Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday, featuring music from the Mermaid Avenue albums, and will bring the show to the States for the "Ain't Nobody That can Sing Like Me" tour starting with two shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago next month. For details, go to nonesuch.com/on-tour.

For more on the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala, visit songhall.org.