He has often been described as more of a poet than a musician, and now Bob Dylan has earned a Nobel Prize for his work in songwriting.

The 75-year-old prize was announced at midday today, where it was revealed that he has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.

Previous laureates of the same Prize have included everyone from WB Yeats to Rudyard Kipling to Ernest Hemingway and Samuel Beckett, so he is in fine company.

The recipient was decided by a panel of 18 Academy members, and the favourite to win the award this year was Syrian poet Adonis - so Dylan's name has come as quite a shock.

It is believed that Dylan is the first musician to win the award, although he has published literature in the past - including a collection of prose poetry and the first part of his memoirs, 'Chronicles: Vol. 1'. He has not yet commented on the award.