U.S. President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with the Library of Congress Gershwin Award in Washington on Wednesday. (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)

Pop, funk, gospel and R&B legend Stevie Wonder received a prestigious lifetime achievement honour in Washington Wednesday night, with two of his biggest fans — U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama — among those who paid tribute to him.

The U.S. Library of Congress awarded its second Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Wonder in honour of his lifetime achievement in music. Singer-songwriter Paul Simon received the inaugural prize in 2007.

"Stevie has always drawn on the incredible range of traditions in his music and, from that, he's created a style that's at once uniquely American, uniquely his own, and yet somehow universal," President Obama said.

The couple also shared personal stories about how his music has been a part of their lives.

Calling him "one of the world's great artists," the First Lady said she and her grandfather "would sit and listen to Stevie's music together — songs about life, love, romance, heartache, despair."

Wonder's Talking Book was the first album she bought, while You and I was the couple's wedding song.

The president quipped that had he not also already been a fan, "Michelle might not have dated me. We might not have been married."

Though the president is a well-known Wonder fan, the Library of Congress made its choice before the U.S. election.

The music-filled evening, which included performances by Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and Wonder himself, will be broadcast Thursday on U.S. public broadcaster PBS.

With files from the Associated Press