Willie Nelson to receive Library of Congress' Gershwin prize for popular song.

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With a career that spans six decades, Willie Nelson--the latest recipient of the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song--has created music that pushes genre boundaries, while his lyrics give voice to America's heartland. He put his imprint forever on country music and introduced it to new audiences by expanding music's avenues in the 1970s to create "outlaw country." He continually has broadened his musical language, crossing into jazz, blues, folk, rock, and Latin styles. A guitar virtuoso with a unique voice, Nelson is an artist whose work continues to inspire new musicians of diverse genres.

Nelson will receive the prize in November in Washington, D.C., and be feted with a series of events. The prize honors a living music artist's lifetime achievement in promoting song to enhance cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Carole King, and Billy Joel.

'Willie Nelson is a musical explorer, redrawing the boundaries of country music throughout his career," says James Billington, Librarian of Congress. "A master communicator, the sincerity and universally appealing message of his lyrics place him in a category of his own while still remaining grounded in his country-music roots. His achievements as a songwriter and performer are legendary. Like America itself, he has absorbed and assimilated diverse stylistic influences into his stories and songs. He has helped make country music one of the most universally beloved forms of American artistic expression."

With more than 200 recordings, this iconic Texan is the creative force behind the historic albums "Shotgun Willie," "Red Headed Stranger," and "Stardust." He...