STOCKHOLM: Bob Dylan, the prominent music icon and Nobel prize winner will not attend the Nobel ceremony in December to accept his literature prize because he has “other commitments,” the Swedish Academy said on Wednesday.

“The Swedish Academy received a personal letter from Bob Dylan where he explained that he could not make himself available in December and reach Stockholm to accept his Nobel prize,” it said in a statement.

“He wishes that he could accept the award personally, but other commitments make it unfortunately impossible. He underlined that he feels incredibly honoured by the Nobel prize,” it added.

The academy maintained that it “respects Bob Dylan’s decision but it is “unusual” for a Nobel laureate not to come to Stockholm to accept the award in person.

 “We look forward to Bob Dylan’s Nobel lecture, which he must carry out – it is the only requirement – within six months starting from December 10, 2016,” the academy said.

The 75-year-old, whose lyrics have influenced generations of fans, is the first songwriter to win the literature prize.