The honorary doctorate was awarded to Mitchell by Berklee’s Office of the President and Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice a month after she gave a surprise performance at Newport Folk Festival.

According to Pitchfork, Mitchell was introduced by Berklee’s president Erica Muhl, who described her as "a force for change in the industry, blazing the trail for women in music with an unwavering commitment to achieving the status rightfully due her as one of the world’s great musical artists."

Mitchell reportedly said during her acceptance speech, "Well, luckily, I’m too old to get a swelled head. It’s a beautiful event. Words can’t describe it. I’ve got my good friends here with me. I wish my parents were alive. My mother in particular would be really proud of this because she wanted me to go to college. I went to art school and I quit after a year. She thinks of me as a quitter. So to see this achievement would be really impressive to her. I wish I could share it with her."

Presenting Dr. Joni Mitchell, the latest recipient of Berklee College of Music's Honorary Doctorate and beret to match.

Photos by Kelly Davidson pic.twitter.com/IH3LZBaRWv

— Joni Mitchell (@jonimitchell) August 24, 2022

The private ceremony also featured performances of Mitchell's "A Case of You", "Love", "Both Sides Now", "River" and more by Berklee students Devon Gates, Julian Miltenberger, Milena Casado, and Nika Ko.