Only two people have both an Oscar and a Nobel.

Bob Dylan became the second person in history to win both an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize in Literature, according to reports published by Index.hr. The award was granted in 2016, making him the first musician to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Swedish Academy cited his work for creating “new poetic expressions within the great American tradition of song,” which marked a historic moment in literary recognition for music. Dylan’s Oscar came 15 years earlier, for Best Original Song for “Things Have Changed” from the film Wonder Boys. Despite being known for avoiding formal accolades, he expressed gratitude toward the Academy for recognizing a song that “does not close its eyes to human nature.” His acceptance speech reflected a rare blend of humility and appreciation, even as he remained true to his artistic ethos. The first individual to achieve this dual honor was Irish playwright and socialist George Bernard Shaw. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 for his work, which the Academy described as “marked by idealism and humanity, and his provocative satire often infused with personal poetic beauty.” Shaw had already gained international acclaim for plays such as Pygmalion, later adapted into the musical My Fair Lady. Shaw’s reaction to the Nobel Prize mirrored Dylan’s later approach, initial reluctance followed by eventual acceptance. In a statement, he famously remarked, “I can forgive Nobel for inventing dynamite, but only a monster in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize.” Despite his initial skepticism, he eventually accepted the award but declined the financial prize, requesting instead that the funds be used to translate works by Swedish playwright August Strindberg into English. In 1939, Shaw was honored again by the film industry, winning an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for his adaptation of Pygmalion. This achievement solidified his legacy in both literature and cinema. However, his response to the Oscar was notably different from his Nobel reaction. In a statement for The Week, he called the award “pure nonsense,” claiming it was an insult to his work and suggesting that no one had ever heard of him before. Shaw’s attitude toward the Oscar echoed themes present in his play Pygmalion, where Professor Henry Higgins transforms the flower girl Eliza into a lady of high society. While her transformation appears successful, Higgins continues to view her primarily as his creation rather than an independent individual. This dynamic raises questions about whether Shaw himself allowed his own ego to overshadow the significance of his work after receiving these prestigious awards. In his 1921 essay Return to Methuselah, Shaw wrote, “Use a mirror to see your face, and artistic works to see your soul.” It seems this sentiment might have been directed at the very institutions that recognized his achievements. Whether through pride or humility, both Shaw and Dylan found themselves at the intersection of art and acclaim, navigating the complex relationship between personal identity and public recognition.