U.S. singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has been awarded Spain's Prince of Asturias arts prize, one of the country's most prestigious honours, for his contributions to music.

"He's a living legend of popular music," said Jose Llado Fernandez-Urrutia, president of the panel of judges.

Bob Dylan, shown in 2005 file picture, has been a 'decisive and revolutionary influence on later generations of musicians,' the Prince of Asturias prize jury said.
(Associated Press)

Spain gives eight Prince of Asturias awards annually — for arts, science, sports and humanities.

The 50,000-euro prizes will be presented in the fall in the city of Oviedo in northern Spain.

Dylan began as a folk singer, went electric and then straddled musical genres up to the present.

"He pioneered the introduction of literature in popular music, bringing together for the first time European and Afro-American rhythms that were a decisive and revolutionary influence on later generations of musicians," the prize jury said in its citation.

His hit songs include Blowing in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone and Knocking on Heaven's Door.

His Modern Times album, released last year, hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts, and he continues to speak to a new generation through his satellite radio show.

"He's considered one of the most important figures of song, a form in which he combines, in a majestic way, the beauty of his poetry and ethical commitment," the prize jury said.

"For this reason, his music and message have had an outstanding influence on several generations of young people."

In the arts category, previous winners have included Woody Allen in 2002 and Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar last year.