BRYN MAWR, Pa. - Rock music veteran Patti Smith will be honoured by Bryn Mawr College for her artistic accomplishments and pioneering spirit.

The women's liberal arts school near Philadelphia announced that Smith will receive the 2013 Katharine Hepburn Medal.

The college on Wednesday called Smith "a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of rock 'n' roll." She also wrote a critically acclaimed memoir in 2010.

Bryn Mawr will award the Hepburn Medal to Smith at a campus event on Feb. 7. A performance for students is being planned.

The medal is given to women who embody "the intelligence, drive and independence" of the Oscar-winning college alumna for whom it is named.

Hepburn graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1928. Previous winners include actresses Lauren Bacall and Blythe Danner.