Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon swaps applause for ICE protest at songwriting gala

Accepting his songwriter of the year award at the NMPA & Billboard Songwriter Awards, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon pivots from accolades to activism, aligning himself with protesters challenging ICE operations in Minneapolis and beyond. He lauds those he calls “Observers with hard hands”—a poetic nod to grassroots dissent over silence.

Vernon’s remarks echo recent artistic outcries from Lizzo, Lady Gaga, and Pusha T, as musician-led resistance increasingly occupies center stage amid ICE-related deaths and rising unrest.

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon says the songs are gone — and maybe so is the band

Justin Vernon confesses he's no longer writing songs — an unfamiliar void for someone who’s composed since age 12. He hints that Bon Iver’s Grammy-nominated fifth album, ‘SABLE, fABLE,’ quietly released from his Wisconsin studio, may be its swan song.

Pointing to his chest, he admits, “There aren’t any in here,” as if creativity were a finite substance now depleted. His recent remarks suggest acceptance laced with unease, as he resigns to the stillness after decades of melodic output.