Photo: Press
Today, Bob Dylan has been announced as the recipient of the Nobel Literature Prize.
The 75 Year Old singer has received the award for, "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
Dylan is also the first American to win the award since Tom Morrison in 1993.
After the announcement was made by the academy's permanent secretary, Sara Danius, Danius explained: "embodies the tradition. And for 54 years, he’s been at it, reinventing himself, creating a new identity."
The secretary continued: "If you look back, far back, you discover Homer and Sappho, and they wrote poetic texts that were meant to be listened to. They were meant to be performed. It’s the same way with Bob Dylan. But we still read Homer and Sappho. He can be read and should be read. He is a great poet in the grand English tradition. I know the music, and I’ve started to appreciate him much more now. Today, I’m a lover of Bob Dylan."
Dylan was born as Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, and earned his fame by playing in the coffee shops of Minnesota from 1959 onwards.
A notable part of Bob Dylan's career would be the work ethic he exudes. Dylan has never really come off tour since the 1980s, a tour which has been called "never ending".
Dylan has also been recognised as being an unofficial American historian.
A lot of his work has been used as protest songs for anti-war movements, as well as, civil rights movements.
Dylan also proved his worth when he tried his hand at going electric, which proved as influential as his earlier works.
The singer has long been tipped to receive the award, but it was never believed that the academy would extend itself to a genre such as folk rock music.
The award will be present to Dylan amongst the other five Nobel Prizes on 10 December which will also be the anniversary of the academy's founder, Alfred Nobel's 1896 death.
Dylan will receive and 18 Karat Gold Medal, as well as, a cheque for around $925,000.
