Patti Smith Wins Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts

Patti Smith, the 79-year-old American musician and author, has been awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts. The Princess of Asturias Foundation in Oviedo, Spain, praised her as the "godmother of punk" who "transcended the boundaries of music itself and developed into a multidisciplinary and unconventional communicator through various artistic forms of expression such as poetry, photography, performance art, and video installations." With her "extraordinary charisma," she has engaged in political and social causes and is considered an icon of the fight for civil rights. Smith first gained prominence in 1974 with the Patti Smith Group's single "Hey Joe / Piss Factory," followed by the breakthrough album "Horses" in 1975, which fused punk rock with spoken poetry. More than 50 years later, she remains popular with young audiences, partly due to her radical honesty, exemplified by her repeated criticism of US President Donald Trump. The Princess of Asturias Awards are named after the heir to the throne and are given annually in eight categories. Smith is the first winner announced this year; further winners will be revealed in the coming weeks and months. Each laureate receives €50,000 and a replica of a statue by Joan Miró. The awards will be presented by King Felipe VI and Crown Princess Leonor in Oviedo at the end of October.