Image caption Cohen is known for songs including Suzanne, Hallelujah and So Long, Marianne

Veteran songwriter Leonard Cohen has won a top Spanish literature award for a body of work which has "influenced three generations around the world".

The Prince of Asturias awards jury said the Canadian, 77, had created "imagery in which poetry and music are melded into an unchanging worth".

The 50,000 euro (£44,000) prize is one of eight given in different fields by the Asturias Foundation each year.

They will be presented at a ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, in October.

Winners also receive a sculpture designed by the late Catalan artist Joan Miro.

The foundation said Cohen's poems and songs explored "with depth and beauty the major questions concerning humanity".

Cohen is known for songs including Suzanne, Hallelujah and So Long, Marianne.

Previous winners of Prince of Asturian awards have included Woody Allen, JK Rowling and pianist Daniel Barenboim.