Bob Dylan has become the first rocker voted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The Lay Lady Lay singer will become an honorary member alongside the likes of Meryl Streep, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.

The class of 2013, announced on Monday (11Mar13), will also include Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, South African writer Damon Galgut and Belgian artist Luc Tuymans as honorary members, and novelist Ward Just, artist Richard Tuttle and painter Terry Winters as official members.

Excluding honorary picks, the academy, founded in 1898, consists of 250 artists, musicians and writers.