The Library of Congress has announced that legendary singer/songwriter Willie Nelson will be honored with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The ceremony is to take place later this year, according to a Library of Congress press release.
"Willie Nelson is a musical explorer, redrawing the boundaries of country music throughout his career," James Billington, Librarian of Congress, said. "A master communicator, the sincerity and universally appealing message of his lyrics place him in a category of his own while still remaining grounded in his country-music roots."
"His achievements as a songwriter and performer are legendary. Like America itself, he has absorbed and assimilated diverse stylistic influences into his stories and songs," Billington continued in his statement. "He has helped make country music one of the most universally beloved forms of American artistic expression."
The 82-year-old Texan will be the seventh musician to receive the prestigious award in Washington D.C. this coming November. The award was named after famed American composers George and Ira Gershwin, and past recipients include Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Billy Joel. The award is reserved for living musicians "whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with George and Ira Gershwin."
"It is an honor to be the next recipient of the Gershwin Prize," Nelson said in a press release. "I appreciate it greatly."
