--- title: Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature: What to Know description: The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Bob Dylan, who becomes the 113th writer and first musician to win the award. canonical: https://time.com/4529418/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature/ author: Suyin Haynes article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-13T12:45:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:03.591Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What to Know About Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature og:description: American music icon receives accolade for literary work og:url: https://time.com/4529418/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07b91a8ced79421a/6988a9d7656a3f7b04bcd713/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature-1 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Know About Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature twitter:description: American music icon receives accolade for literary work twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07b91a8ced79421a/6988a9d7656a3f7b04bcd713/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What to Know About Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Bob Dylan Receives Nobel Prize in Literature [Watch (HLS stream): Bob Dylan Receives Nobel Prize in Literature](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NvOfBFJT.m3u8) (0:33)  _Published 2016-10-13. Bob Dylan was named the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday in a stunning announcement that for the first time bestowed the prestigious award to someone primarily seen as a musician._ by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Oct 13, 2016 12:45 PM UTC  Bob Dylan performs during a concert at the Olympic stadium in Munich, southern Germany, on June 3, 1984\. Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature on Oct. 13, 2016. Bob Dylan performs during a concert at the Olympic stadium in Munich, southern Germany, on June 3, 1984\. Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature on Oct. 13, 2016. Istvan Bajzat—DPA/AFP/Getty Images by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Oct 13, 2016 12:45 PM UTC The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to [Bob Dylan](http://time.com/3787157/a-year-and-a-day-with-bob-dylan/?iid=sr-link9), who 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](http://time.com/4517897/nobel-prize-physics-2016/?iid=sr-link8), [chemistry](http://time.com/4519282/molecular-machines-nobel-prize/?iid=sr-link4), medicine, [economics](http://time.com/4524746/nobel-prize-economics-oliver-hart-bengt-holmstrom/?iid=sr-link1) and [peace](http://time.com/4522564/nobel-peace-prize-juan-manuel-santos/?iid=sr-link2). Here’s what you need to know about Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize for Literature: **He was an outside bet** Names of nominees for all Nobel Prizes [must be kept secret](https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/) until at least 50 years after the Prize has been awarded, but [Dylan](http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1197784-1,00.html) is thought to have bested competitors including American novelist Don DeLillo, perennial favorite Haruki Murakami, Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o and Syrian poet Adonis. Dylan was seen as having an outside chance, with odds placed at 16/1 when betting closed on Thursday morning. Alex Donohue, of British bookmakers Ladbrokes, said, “People laughed when Dylan entered the picture out of nowhere in 2011 but maybe there was something blowin’ in the wind after all. On this occasion only a handful of his fans managed to cash in, leaving us with a far more manageable payout.” He is the first musician or songwriter of his stature to win the prize for literature, and the 259th American to win a Nobel Prize. **The award celebrates the entirety of his career** “He’s a great poet—a great poet in the English-speaking tradition. For 54 years he’s been at it, reinventing himself constantly, creating a new identity,” [said Sara Danius](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/13/bob-dylan-wins-2016-nobel-prize-in-literature), Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy. In the announcement, she referred to Greek writers, noting that “they wrote poetic texts which were meant to be performed, and it’s the same way for Bob Dylan. We still read Homer and Sappho, and we enjoy it. We can and should read him.” Danius recommended Dylan’s _Blonde on Blonde_ album as a starting point for those unfamiliar with Dylan’s work. Although Dylan was an unconventional choice, the panel judged the breadth and depth of Dylan’s songwriting work when awarding the prize. The album, selected as one of [TIME’s All-Time 100 Albums](http://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/blonde-on-blonde/?iid=sr-link1), was released in 1966 and described by Dylan himself as a “thin, wild mercury sound.” **Much of his early songwriting was inspired by the Beat Generation** In the early 1960s, as a young man, Dylan was influenced by the Beat Generation and was inspired by the work of Jack Kerouac. After moving to New York in 1961, he met the poet Allen Ginsberg at a party and became good friends with him. Ginsberg acted as a mentor and collaborated with Dylan on an ambitious album called [_Holy Soul Jelly Roll_.](http://www.beatdom.com/allen-ginsberg-and-bob-dylan/) The [New Yorker](http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/bob-dylan-the-beat-generation-and-allen-ginsbergs-america) notes that in the mid-1960s, “the two would complete important artistic transitions, each touched and supported by the other.” As TIME reported in May 1963, “he has something unique to say, and he says it in songs of his own invention that are the best songs of their style.” **His work has spanned music, art and literature** Although best known for being a record-breaking musician, Dylan’s work has also spread into the art and literature worlds. He has written six books, including three compilations of his song lyrics and a [collection of poetry](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/musicians-who-have-written-books/bob-dylan/) entitled _Tarantula_ that was written in a similar stream-of-consciousness style to the icons of the Beat Generation. Dylan has also published several collections containing his artwork in partnership with major international galleries such as New York’s Gagosian and London’s National Portrait Gallery. His [artwork has been exhibited](http://entertainment.time.com/2013/11/22/10-celebrities-with-surprising-hidden-talents/?iid=sr-link2) around the world, with pieces ranging from sculpture to drawings and paintings. ## Transcript The Nobel Prize in literature for 2016 is awarded to Bob Dylan for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. 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