On May 6, they will receive the "Woody Guthrie" distinction, named after an American folk singer and composer (1912-1967) considered a left-wing musician, sometimes classified as socialist, revolutionary or even anarchist, and who defended the poorest and the oppressed.
The latest recipients of this award are Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez or Pete Seeger.
"In Woody's mind, I think he would have liked the anti-fascist message of Pussy Riot," one of the members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, told AFP in a message sent to AFP by their agent.
"We don't really play folk but we don't really play punk either. We are just shouting and protesting as loud as we can and hope to show others that they can do the same," the protesting artist continued.
She and Maria Aliokhina will receive the award at the tenth anniversary of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after which they are expected to perform on stage, according to organizers.
"Artists who, like Woody Guthrie, have the courage of their convictions, there are none currently who deserve it as much as Pussy Riot," said Cady Shaw, head of the Woody Guthrie Center.
Last May, members of Pussy Riot started a series of concerts in Berlin to denounce the war in Ukraine and the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Maria Alyokhina, under threat of a prison sentence in Russia, was able to leave the country clandestinely, disguised as a meal deliverer, and join the concert.
This feminist punk band became famous after a performance deemed scandalous at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow in 2012. Young women had sung a punk "prayer" asking the Virgin Mary to "drive out" Vladimir Putin. Three of them, including Maria Aliokhina, had been sentenced to two years' detention in a camp for acts deemed blasphemous.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were released in December 2013.
Since then, Pussy Riot have continued to denounce "totalitarianism" in Russia.
© 2023 AFP