Skip to main content

Bob Dylan absent for Nobel prize, sends acceptance speech

Bob Dylan has always gone down his own path, forging his own legacy and creating a body of work that has stood the test of time — in this case, a true American original. Dylan was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature back in October, and since then the award has been shrouded, much like the artist himself, in mystery.

Rolling Stone reports, “For weeks and weeks there was nothing but silence from the Dylan camp, and (the) Nobel Committee told the press nobody was returning their calls.”

Recommended Videos

“‘One can say that it is impolite and arrogant,'” said Per Wastberg, a member of the Nobel Committee. “‘He is who he is.'”

In November, Dylan let the Nobel committee know that due to prior commitments, he wouldn’t be able to attend. Fair enough; when you’re Bob Dylan you can pretty much call the shots. He gave the committee a speech to be read on his behalf at the Stockholm ceremony on Saturday, where the nine other Nobel laureates were on hand to receive their prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf, in front of a VIP audience.

MSN says the musician should receive his Nobel prize in person sometime next year. Via Rolling Stone, Dylan’s speech was read by United States Ambassador to Sweden Azita Raji.

The legendary musician’s humility was clear throughout the speech: “I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person, but please know that I am most definitely with you in spirit and honored to be receiving such a prestigious prize. Being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature is something I never could have imagined or seen coming,” Dylan’s speech read. “If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I’d have about the same odds as standing on the moon.”

“In fact, during the year I was born and for a few years after, there wasn’t anyone in the world who was considered good enough to win this Nobel Prize,” Dylan’s speech continued. “So, I recognize that I am in very rare company, to say the least.”

Brinke Guthrie
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brinke’s favorite toys include his Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Toshiba Chromebook 2, Motorola Moto G4, and two Kindles. A…
How to download music from SoundCloud on desktop and mobile
Soundcloud Interface on a Macbook.

If you're a die-hard music fan, you probably keep a curated library of playlists packed with your favorite artists and albums on Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever your favorite music streaming app is. But how do you discover the best indie artists today? Some music-streaming platforms are better than others at celebrating the ‘unsung gem’ acts, but one of the most reliable forums for new, off-the-grid tunes is SoundCloud.

Founded in 2007, SoundCloud has always prioritized music that’s a bit under the radar. With over 320 million tracks in its library, the platform will even let you download a majority of its songs and albums.

Read more
The best kids headphones of 2025: for fun, safety, and sound
Two kids using the Puro Sound PuroQuiet Plus to watch something on a tablet.

Kid-friendly consumer tech is all the rage these days, so it’s no surprise that there’s an entire market of headphones designed exclusively for young ones. But when we think “kid-friendly,” sometimes we imagine products that are built to be a bit more throwaway than their adult counterparts. That’s not the case with the products on our list of the best headphones for kids, though.

We want our child-tailored headphones to include parental-controlled volume limiters, to ensure our children aren’t harming their eardrums. Pretty much every entry on our list checks this vital box, but we also wanted to point you and yours toward products that offer exceptional noise-canceling, built-in mics for phone and video calls, and long-lasting batteries for schooldays or a long flight.

Read more
How to master your equalizer settings for the perfect sound
An equalizer from eqMac.

Casual listeners might boot up Spotify or turn on the radio to listen to music without giving the balance or sound stage much thought. Audiophiles on the other hand like to dig a bit deeper and customize their experience. One common way to tinker with how music sounds is adjustments to the equalizer, which offers the freedom to tweak every aspect of the sound booming out of headphones or speakers. Even some streaming services now have built-in EQs, giving you more ways than ever to play with your music and find something that best fits your ears.

Shaping the equalizer to your preferences can be daunting to newcomers, as there are tons of cryptic settings you can manipulate. And if you mess with the wrong one, your sound quality might take a nasty hit. Thankfully, learning the basics isn't too difficult.

Read more