Dylan said in a letter on November 16 that he would not attend the ceremony because he had "pre-existing commitments", in an announcement that did not come as a surprise to observers.
Tomēr neviens viņa vietā balvu nesaņems. Novembrī Dilans informēja Zviedrijas akadēmiju, ka neapmeklēs Nobela ceremoniju, jo viņam ir "citas saistības".