On Sept. 18, Stanford and the Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at SJSU will honor Mumford & Sons with the John Steinbeck Award, live at Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall.

According to a press release, the annual award celebrates “writers, thinkers, artists, and activists who embody the empathetic spirit and values of John Steinbeck.”

Mumford & Sons are being honored for their ongoing work with their Gentlemen of the Road fund, which fights “for social justice and common good around the world.”

Adds Ted Cady, chair of the Steinbeck Award committee, “Mumford and Sons can also be linked to John Steinbeck through their music, especially songs such as ‘Timshel,’ ‘Dust Bowl Dance,’ and ‘Rose of Sharon,’ and through their advocacy of Steinbeck’s writings.”

For tickets and more information about the Sept. 18 event – which will include a conversation with the band and an acoustic performance – click here.