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Aretha Franklin presented with posthumous Pulitzer Prize for her musical and cultural contributions

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Jamie McCarthy/Getty ImagesAretha Franklin has been chosen to receive a posthumous Pulitzer Prize award, in the “Special Citation” category. The Queen of Soul is being recognized for “her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.”

Franklin becomes the first music artist to receive a Pulitzer “Special Citation” award since 2009, when late country legend Hank Williams was presented with the honor. Other musicians who have been similarly acknowledged include Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin.

Aretha died of complications from pancreatic cancer in August 2018. She was 76.

The prestigious Pulitzer Prize awards celebrate the best in journalism, literature and musical composition.

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