Bruce Springsteen Dedicates Harry Belafonte Social Justice Award to Citizens in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Portland

Bruce Springsteen dedicated the Harry Belafonte Social Justice Award to “citizens” in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Portland who, in his telling, “stood against the federal invasion of their cities,” as he discussed the relationship between art and civic action in a conversation during the Tribeca Festival.

The musician’s remarks came during the Tribeca event where he spoke with Bono, another major figure in the awards and concert circuit, about their shared interest in using music as a platform for activism and community organizing. The discussion positioned Springsteen’s social-justice message in the context of public life and collective action rather than a single policy dispute.

Springsteen’s dedication connected the award’s namesake, Harry Belafonte, to contemporary scenes in multiple U.S. cities, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s account. The report framed the recognition as a tribute to residents who resisted federal authorities operating in those communities.

Later in the program, Springsteen joined Patti Smith and Bono for a performance described as a rousing rendition of “People Have the Power,” a song associated with political and civil-rights themes. The pairing brought together several high-profile performers known for mixing mainstream stages with advocacy-focused messaging.

The appearance also reflected the continuing overlap between major entertainment institutions and large public-facing cultural events like Tribeca, where celebrity interviews, award recognition, and live performances are staged together. In this case, the award dedication and the group performance occurred within the same festival program.

The Hollywood Reporter’s write-up did not include additional details about the circumstances or dates of the events referenced by Springsteen in his “federal invasion” framing, nor did it specify any formal process tied to the award beyond its being named for Belafonte and presented in this setting.

A separate point raised in the Hollywood Reporter item was that Springsteen had been preparing for other high-visibility appearances around the same period, though the account centered most of its festival coverage on the Tribeca conversation, the award dedication, and the onstage collaboration with Bono and Patti Smith.

For readers, the immediate takeaway is the way a widely recognized American rock figure used a major social-justice award moment at Tribeca to link arts recognition to local civic resistance in multiple cities, followed by an ensemble performance built around a long-standing protest anthem.