Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation yesterday.
The board of the prestigious journalism and arts organization made this announcement on Monday, saying that Franklin received the honour “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.”
Aretha Franklin is now the first female artist to receive a Pulitzers’ Special Citation. Previous winners include Rodgers & Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams.
Franklin passed away in August 2018 at the age of 76 after losing the battle to pancreatic cancer.