Kendrick Lamar has become the first non-classical or jazz artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for music.
The rapper was awarded the prestigious prize for his fourth album, ‘DAMN’, which won five awards at January’s Grammys, but was overlooked in the Album of the Year category.
Explaining the landmark decision, Dana Canedy, prize administrator, said (via The New York Times): “The time was right. We are very proud of this selection. It means that the jury and the board judging system worked as it’s supposed to — the best work was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
“It shines a light on hip-hop in a completely different way. This is a big moment for hip-hop music and a big moment for the Pulitzers.”
Soon after the win was announced, congratulations started rolling in:
Kendrick is yet to comment on the announcement.
After being released to worldwide critical acclaim in April 2017, ‘DAMN’ went platinum within one month and current sales, including streaming, are at over 3 million.
He subsequently toured the album, performing 52-dates worldwide and selling over 700,000 tickets.