Bob Dylan Sparks Outrage After Winning Nobel Prize In Literature

Iconic singer/songwriter Bob Dylan shocked the masses on Thursday when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. That's right — a songwriter won and not a novelist. Oooh burn, writers! 

The Swedish Academy said in a press release that the 75-year-old singer won, "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." The "Blowin' in the Wind" singer, who has won 12 Grammys, is the first American to win the honor in 23 years. Novelist Toni Morrison won the prize back in 1993. According to the Associated Press, people have speculated for years that one day Dylan would get the honor for his years of work. Swedish Per Wastberg said, "He is probably the greatest living poet." 

The prize usually goes to novelists, playwrights or poets, such as Svetlana Alexievich, short story writer Alice Munro and writer William Faulkner — so the selection of a songwriter has been quite controversial, with many criticizing the choice on social media. 

While die-hard Dylan fans are singing his praises.