Patti Smith Wins 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts

Patti Smith has been awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, as announced by the jury in Oviedo. The jury highlighted her "impetuous creativity" and the way her work links "rock, symbolist poetry and the spirit of counterculture with great expressive power." Smith, who emerged in the 1970s as a singular presence in punk, introduced a literary and emotional dimension to the movement. Her 1975 album "Horses" altered rock's rules with a blend of recited poetry, raw energy, and intellectual drive. The award recognizes a career spanning five decades across music, poetry, writing, photography, and performance. Her memoirs "Just Kids" won the National Book Award, followed by "M Train" and "Year of the Monkey." She has also collaborated with Soundwalk Collective on "Correspondences," a project focused on the climate crisis. Smith continues to tour internationally, commemorating the 50th anniversary of "Horses." The award ceremony will take place in October in Oviedo, presided over by the king and queen, along with the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía. Smith succeeds previous laureates and adds this prize to honors including Spain's Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the French Legion of Honour, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.