Dylan wins Nobel Prize in Literature

Leonard Cohen, indeed, needed and deserved it more... Maybe he didn't have to make his tour barely alive...

It is worth reviewing the criteria and nomination processes for the Nobel prizes. For example, the following are the only individuals who can nominate for the Prize in Literature: 1. Members of the Swedish Academy and of other academies, institutions and societies which are similar to it in construction and purpose; 2. Professors of literature and of linguistics at universities and university colleges; 3. Previous Nobel Laureates in Literature; 4. Presidents of those societies of authors that are representative of the literary production in their respective countries. The Nobel Committee for Literature sends invitation letters to persons who are qualified to nominate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. No one can nominate himself or herself. Winners must be living; Nobel prizes are never given posthumously. In general, Nobel award winners are individuals whose work is disruptive in terms of influence on others working in the field and, especially, outside of the field.

While I greatly prefer the words, poetry, and music of Leonard Cohen, he was less influential than Dylan. . . unfortunately. Plus, he had a huge hiatus in productivity.

"No one can nominate himself or herself. Winners must be living; Nobel prizes are never given posthumously. In general, Nobel award winners are individuals whose work is disruptive in terms of influence on others working in the field and, especially, outside of the field."

There are a couple exceptions to the postumous award rule.

Posthumous Nobel Prizes
From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Before 1974, the Nobel Prize has only been awarded posthumously twice: to Dag Hammarskjöld (Nobel Peace Prize 1961) and Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931).

Following the 2011 announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, it was discovered that one of the Medicine Laureates, Ralph Steinman, had passed away three days earlier. The Board of the Nobel Foundation examined the statutes, and an interpretation of the purpose of the rule above led to the conclusion that Ralph Steinman should continue to remain a Nobel Laureate, as the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet had announced the 2011 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine without knowing of his death.