(Washington) Canadian singer Joni Mitchell was awarded new recognition on Wednesday evening: the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
The 79-year-old artist from Alberta is the first Canadian and only the third woman to win this prestigious award since its inception in 2007.
A concert was organized for the occasion, with performances by Annie Lennox, James Taylor, Brandi Carlile and Cyndi Lauper, among others, at DAR Constitution Hall, a historic room not far from the White House, in Washington.
The stage was decorated with 12 huge paintings framed by spotlights, including some of the singer’s self-portraits.
Joni Mitchell sat in the front row wearing her gold beret and sunglasses, with her hair braided.
Singer Marcus Mumford got the ball rolling with Careywork from the landmark 1971 album, Bluewhich has long been considered one of the greatest albums of all time.
The tribute represents another step in Mitchell’s return to the limelight, who last summer performed a surprise concert with Carlile at the Newport Folk Festival, his first live performance in more than 20 years.
Mitchell, who now lives in Los Angeles, is gradually recovering from a ruptured brain aneurysm she suffered in 2015.
As a Gershwin Award winner, she joins a select group of legendary singer-songwriters, including Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Carole King.
Recipients are selected by the Library of Congress in collaboration with previous recipients as well as outside experts. Artistic value, achievements, musical influence and audience impact are among the main judging criteria.
In keeping with longstanding tradition, Mitchell will take part in an hour-long conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday in the Library’s Great Hall inside the Thomas Jefferson Building.