Paul Simon has been chosen as the first recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, to be presented May 23 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will be taped for June 27 broadcast on PBS, and artists confirmed to participate in the festivities include Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Stephen Marley, Marc Anthony, Lyle Lovett, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Yolanda Adams, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Lyle Lovett, Philip Glass, Alison Krauss and Buckwheat Zydeco.

According to it’s creators, the Gershwin prize is an award that aims to recognize “the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture.”http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003574929