Ani DiFranco

2021 Recipient of the John Lennon Real Love Award

In a trailblazing career that spans over three decades, Ani DiFranco has had a seismic cultural impact as singer-songwriter, activist and feminist. Upon learning that she was chosen as the 2021 John Lennon Award Honoree, Ani wrote:

“I am honored to be embraced by Yoko Ono, Theatre Within and the family of people who carry the mantle of John Lennon’s legacy and I vow to continue striving with them until peace is real.”  

Ani was born in Buffalo, New York in 1970, not long after the release of the Beatles final album, Let It Be. She credits her immigrant parents with providing her for what she calls “a bedrock for understanding my citizenship, for understanding that I was part of something bigger, and that there was work to be done. That there was something to be accountable to that was bigger than me. There was a society. There was a nation. There was a community, a culture. And this was all very real to me from the beginning.”

Ani was introduced to the Beatles songbook when she was nine by her guitar teacher, who helped her land her first gig, performing a set of Beatles covers at a local coffeehouse. By the time she was 19 she had written over 100 songs. Displaying the fiercely independent mindset for which she would one day be revered by artists such as Prince, Ani started her own record label rather than look for a deal with a mainstream company. She established Righteous Babe Records, which elevated her own essential voice and inspired countless women to become independent artists.

With her captivating live performances and recordings, Ani developed a devoted grassroots audience. She toured the country in her Volkswagen, playing gigs large and small, singing both autobiographical and socially conscious songs, addressing such issues as sexual abuse, reproductive rights, homophobia and racism with wisdom and sensitivity. By the early 1990s, Ani had come to the attention of folk legend Pete Seeger, who became one of her mentors. Ani first played Seeger’s Clearwater Festival in 1993 and years later, reflecting on his influence said, “Pete taught me you are never too old or too male to be a radical feminist.”  

In the tradition of John and Yoko’s activism, Ani has supported a diverse range of political and social movements. She lobbied Congress against the placement of nuclear waste dumps on Native American land. She established the “Aiding Buffalo’s Children” program to raise funds for her home towns’ public school system. When Hurricane Katrina devastated her then newly adopted home of New Orleans, Ani collected donations through her website and raised nearly $50,000 to help musicians replace instruments lost in the storm.  

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill she performed in concerts to raise money to clean up the coast and to assist families affected by the disaster. Her longstanding opposition to the death penalty is consistent with John and Yoko’s highest values.

 “There is much I admire about Ani DiFranco,” wrote Yoko Ono, “from her stirring songs to her social advocacy on women’s rights, the environment, and many other relevant issues. I am delighted that she has been honored with the John Lennon Real Love Award.”