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.

The Swedish Academy cited the American musician for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Dylan had been mentioned in the Nobel speculation for years, but few experts expected the academy to extend the prestigious award to a genre such as pop music.

Reporters and others gathered for the announcement at the academy's headquarters in Stockholm's Old Town reacted with a loud cheer as his name was read out.

.

Keep Reading

Greene County head football coach Darius Robinson, seen here celebrating with his team after a win in October, was relieved of coaching duties after his arrest, the Greene County School District said. (Lance McCurley/Lake Oconee News)

Credit: Lance McCurley/Lake Oconee News

Featured

Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com