Aretha Franklin has made history with her posthumous ‘Special Citation’ Pulitzer Prize win.
According to ABC News, the “queen of soul” is the first musical artist to receive the Pulitzer “Special Citation” award since 2010, “when late country legend Hank Williams was awarded the honor, and two years earlier, when it was given to singer Bob Dylan in 2008.” Aretha Franklin is also the first woman to receive a special citation prize, which was first awarded in 1930.
The late singer has been honored for her “indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.” Past winners also include John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin.
Franklin passed away in 2018, at age 76, of pancreatic cancer.
Congratulations to @ArethaFranklin and her family and friends. #Pulitzer #QueenOfSoul #Respect pic.twitter.com/SRdwncE5UI
— The Pulitzer Prizes (@PulitzerPrizes) April 15, 2019
