Joni Mitchell has been named this year’s recipient of the U.S. Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
She is the first Canadian and the third woman (after Carole King and Gloria Estefan) to receive the honour.
“Joni Mitchell’s music and artistry have left a distinct impression on American culture and internationally, crossing from folk music with a distinctive voice whose songs will stay with us for the ages,” said Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, in a statement. “Joni Mitchell’s music has so many artists and music lovers all singing her tunes. We are honoured to present the Gershwin Prize to this musical genius.”
Mitchell, 79, described the Gershwin Prize as “a very prestigious award.”
The singer, who was born in Alberta and raised in Saskatchewan, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
She received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Polar Music Prize in 1996 and was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2000. Mitchell was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2002 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021.
She has honorary doctorates from McGill University and the Berkeley College of Music.
The Recording Academy gave her a lifetime achievement award in 2002 and she was named the 2022 MusiCares person of the year. Mitchell also has nine Grammys and three JUNOs.
Mitchell will be fêted in Washington, D.C. on March 1 at a concert that will broadcast on March 31 on PBS.
Established in 2007 and named for the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song recognizes “influence, impact and achievement in popular music.”
Previous recipients include Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks and Lionel Richie.