Singer/songwriter Carole King has been picked as the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an award given out by the august body to honor the work of songwriters. King will be the first woman to receive the award.

In a statement issued to the press, King expressed pride in being honored with the award, saying “I was so pleased when the library of Congress began honoring songwriters with the Gershwin Prize. I am proud to be the fifth such honoree and the first woman among such distinguished company.” James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, called King “one of the most influential songwriters of our time,” noting that her songs “communicate with beauty and dignity the universal human emotions of love, joy, pain and loss.”

Past recipients of the Gershwin Prize include Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Paul McCartney. King will receive the award at a gala event at the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C.; she plans to perform at the event.