Iconic singer/songwriter Bob Dylan shocked the world on Thursday when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He becomes the 113th writer and first musician to win the award. Dylan, 75, best known as a singer-songwriter, receives the prize worth roughly $905,000 “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” the Swedish Academy announced in Stockholm on Thursday.
He becomes the final recipient of 2016’s selection of Nobel Prizes, which have been awarded in physics, chemistry, medicine, economics and peace.
Past winners including Nigeria’s Professor Wole Soyinka, have won it for their literary works, not musical lyrics.
The Swedish Academy said in a press release that the 75-year-old singer won, “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” The “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer, who has won 12 Grammys, is the first American to win the honour in 23 years.
Novelist Toni Morrison of US won the prize back in 1993. According to the Associated Press, people have speculated for years that one day Dylan would get the honor for his years of work. Swedish Per Wastberg said, “He is probably the greatest living poet.” The prize usually goes to novelists, playwrights or poets, such as Svetlana Alexievich, short story writer Alice Munro and writer William Faulkner — so the selection of a songwriter has been quite controversial, with many criticizing the choice on social media. While die-hard Dylan fans are singing his praises. Sorry peeps, the times they are a-changin’!
Another enraged critic tweeted that in many years to come Rihanna would win the prize. The social media has been buzzing since the announcement Thursday.
