The Swedish Academy handed Bob Dylan a remarkable, unexpected accolade on Thursday, announcing the singer as the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature. In a succinct statement, the Academy said Dylan deserved the honor “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He is the first American to win the Nobel Prize in literature since Toni Morrison in 1993. Previous renowned American laureates in the literature category include William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

Read more here about Dylan’s award.