More than 50 years ago, Bob Dylan shook the music world to its core by playing an electric guitar while protesting social issues – now, decades later, Dylan once again shocked the world when he was announced as the Nobel Literature Prize laureate. Having won 11 Grammys, Dylan is no stranger to awards, but according to CNBC, this accolade sparked some discussion on whether or not song lyrics count as “literature.” According to The Guardian, this is not the first time controversies arose surrounding the recipients of the Nobel Prize. In fact, under the Literature category, Dylan is not the first to win the prize for something other than his print writing: the first was Indian songwriter Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded in 1913. Later, in 1953, Winston Churchill also received the …show more content…
“Regardless of the surrounding controversies, Dylan’s award has shown that literature from all around the world and from a variety of subgenres can be worthy being celebrated as top tier literature.” However, referring to The Telegraph, some criticize the Swedish Academy, the institution in charge of the Nobel Prize awards, for lowering its standards of “literature.” This may be the case since Dylan’s primary appeal, as argued in Pen America, lies not in his lyrics but in the musical elements of his songs. In addition, according to CNN, critics claim that broadening the pool of potential recipients reduces opportunities to honor writers because popular singers already have larger platforms in which to be recognized for their work. “There is not much point in awarding Dylan when he is given the utmost respect and recognition around the world,” said Mimi Yoo (12), critic of the Swedish Academy’s decision. “Therefore, I think that during the Literature prizes should focus more on the traditional writers, as that was its original