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Joni Mitchell seated playing the piano with her glasses resting on top.

Joni Mitchell

This is such a great honor; it’s so exciting to see all of these musicians I admire performing my music.
—Joni Mitchell

Songwriter, musician, poet, producer, and painter Joni Mitchell was the 2023 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. She is an icon of modern music and one of the most influential creators of our age. Since her debut as a recording artist in 1968 to today, Mitchell’s songs like “Both Sides, Now,” “Chelsea Morning,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Woodstock,” and “The Circle Game,” made her one of the premier singer-songwriters of her generation. She has been recognized with ten Grammy® Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Polar Music Prize, MusiCares Person of the Year, and inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Grammy® Hall of Fame.

Mitchell’s creative genius continues to reach audiences around the world. She recently launched the Joni Mitchell Archives, which revealed hours of previously unissued studio and live recordings. In 2022, she won a Grammy® for producing the first volume in the series, “Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 to 1967).” Mitchell’s Joni Jam sessions bring Joni’s music to a new generation of music lovers along with a cast of musicians who she influenced, including Annie Lennox, Allison Russell, and Brandi Carlile.

2023 Gershwin Joni Mitchell Videos

Image gallery

Dr. Carla Hayden applauds Joni Mitchell as she accepts the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall. Ledisi performs “River” at the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert honoring Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall. Angélique Kidjo performs "Help Me" at the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert honoring Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall. Joni Mitchell is seated to the right of Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress. Joni Mitchell performs at the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert, beneath one of her self-portraits, at DAR Constitution Hall. Joni Mitchell views treasures from the Music Division’s collections, curated by Senior Music Specialist Ray White, in the Whittall Pavilion. Lucius members Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, Brandi Carlile, and Sara Bareilles pose for a photo with Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoree Joni Mitchell during a reception in the Library of Congress Great Hall. Joni Mitchell plays George Gershwin’s piano in the “Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin” exhibit in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Annie Lennox performs “Both Sides Now” at the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall. Brandi Carlile joins Joni Mitchell on stage during the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song broadcast taping at DAR Constitution Hall. The full cast of the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song sings for Joni Mitchell for the show’s finale at DAR Constitution Hall. An all-star ensemble cast, featuring Angélique Kidjo, Lucius, Brandi Carlile, Ledisi, Annie Lennox and Cyndi Lauper, performs "Big Yellow Taxi" at the 2023 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert honoring Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall. Joni Mitchell poses on the red carpet for the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall. James Taylor performs “California” in tribute to Joni Mitchell during the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall. He is surrounded by works painted by Joni Mitchell that were reproduced for the set design. Herbie Hancock performs at the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall. Chairman of the James Madison Council David Rubenstein and Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, are joined by members of Congress, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, celebrate Joni Mitchell during the 2023 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall.