Posted April 02, 2017 09:08:12

Photo: Bob Dylan made no mention of his Nobel award during a concert held hours after the medal presentation. (AP: Chris Pizzello)

American songwriter and singer Bob Dylan finally has his hands on his Nobel Literature diploma and medal.

The 75-year-old received his award during a private event in Stockholm before a scheduled concert in the city.

Klas Ostergren, a member of the Swedish Academy, said the ceremony was a small, intimate event in line with the singer's wishes, with just academy members and a member of Dylan's staff attending.

"It went very well indeed," he said, describing Dylan as "a very nice, kind man".

Other members of the academy told Swedish media Dylan seemed pleased by the award.

During his show hours later, Dylan made no reference to the Nobel award, simply performing a set blending old classics with tunes from his more recent albums.

Dylan had declined the invitation to attend the traditional Nobel Prize banquet and ceremony on December 10, 2016 — the date of Alfred Nobel's death — pleading other commitments.

But in order to receive the award worth $1,172,585, Dylan must give a lecture within six months from December 10.

Dylan had said he would not give his Nobel lecture this weekend, but a recorded version of it would be sent later.

Taped Nobel lectures have occasionally been presented, most recently in 2013 by Canadian Nobel literature laureate Alice Munro.

The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Dylan "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

He had expressed awe at receiving the Nobel Prize and thanked the Swedish Academy for including him among the "giants" of writing.

AP

Topics: human-interest, awards-and-prizes, music, arts-and-entertainment, sweden