NEW YORK:

Rock and roll legend Bob Dylan received an honorary Pulitzer Prize in the arts category on April 7.

Dylan’s win marked the first time rock ‘n’ roll was honoured by the Pulitzers, although several jazz musicians have won prizes and citations in the past. The judges cited Dylan for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”

Dylan continues to tour almost continuously and release highly regarded CDs. Fans, critics and academics have obsessed over his lyrics since the 1960s, when such protest anthems as Blowin’ in the Wind made Dylan a poet and prophet for a rebellious generation.

The Washington Post swept the major categories, including the prestigious public service award for its series on Walter Reed. Cheers erupted in the newsroom when staffers learned the newspaper had hauled in a near-record six Pulitzer Prizes, journalism’s top awards.

“This is actually a boost to remind people that we can produce this kind of journalism at any time,” said Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. “We’re going to have a large enough newsroom to continue to produce this kind of quality journalism.”