Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Salutes Minneapolis Protesters During Awards Speech

The musician used his acceptance at the NMPA & Billboard Songwriter Awards to voice support for those demonstrating against ICE in the city.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 2:55pm

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During his acceptance speech for artist-songwriter of the year at the NMPA & Billboard Songwriter Awards, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon saluted the protesters in the streets of Minneapolis, calling them "Observers" who are "using their voice" to push their community forward. Vernon's remarks came amid a wave of high-profile musicians speaking out against the actions of ICE agents in the city.

Why it matters

Vernon's speech reflects a broader trend of musicians using their platforms to voice support for social justice causes, particularly around issues of immigration and police brutality. As one of the most acclaimed indie artists of the past decade, Vernon's words carry significant weight and help shine a light on the ongoing protests in Minneapolis against ICE.

The details

At the awards show, Vernon accepted his artist-songwriter of the year honor and used his speech to praise the protesters in Minneapolis, describing them as "Observers" with "hard hands" who are "standing on the corner of their community and blowing the whistle and making a noise." Vernon's comments came just a month after he collaborated on the anti-gun violence song "Sold Out" with Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner.

  • On January 28, 2026, Vernon accepted his award at the NMPA & Billboard Songwriter Awards.
  • Earlier that day, Grammy-winning guitarist Tom Morello announced a benefit concert in Minneapolis to support the families of two American citizens recently killed by ICE agents.

The players

Justin Vernon

The lead singer of the indie folk band Bon Iver, who is known for his genre-bending catalog and collaborations with artists like Taylor Swift.

Tom Morello

A Grammy-winning rock guitarist who announced a benefit concert in Minneapolis to support the families of two American citizens recently killed by ICE agents.

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What they’re saying

“I just wanna make a note that this also represents another kind of observer, one with hard hands. One that's in the streets of Minneapolis and many, many cities in this country right now. An observer, with a capital O, with hard hands, is somebody that stands on the corner of their community and blows the whistle and makes a noise. That's their purpose … and they are using their voice.”

— Justin Vernon (Billboard)

What’s next

The benefit concert organized by Tom Morello is scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026, with all proceeds going to the families of the two American citizens killed by ICE agents.

The takeaway

Vernon's speech underscores the growing role of musicians as activists, using their platforms to draw attention to social justice issues like immigration and police brutality. His words reflect a broader trend of artists leveraging their influence to support and amplify the voices of protesters fighting for change in their communities.