Celebrated U.S. songwriter Bob Dylan was named winner of the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday.

Dylan is known for works such as "The Times They are a-Changin'," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Like a Rolling Stone."

In its one-line citation, the Swedish Academy said Dylan "created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. He moved to New York and from 1965 his tours attracted growing attention.

Aside from his slew of released records, Dylan has published volumes of lyrics, poetry and drawings.

The award was likely to disappoint fans of Japanese author Haruki Murakami, who hope he will one day add a Nobel to his other laurels.

British bookmaker Ladbrokes placed Murakami the 4-to-1 favorite last week, but he was later overtaken by Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiongo, British newspaper The Guardian reported.

Murakami has called the annual expectation irksome. In 2015 he told readers of a personal online forum: "To be honest, it's a nuisance. It's not like there is an official shortlist."

The Nobel organization withholds lists of short-listed candidates for 50 years.

The 2015 winner was Belarusian journalist and author Svetlana Alexievich, who used first-person testimony to chronicle pivotal 20th century events such as the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Meanwhile Thursday, the death was announced of Nobel laureate Dario Fo, an Italian playwright and author of more than 80 plays. He was 90.