Cut Mr Zimmerman some slack guys. How is a singer/wrongciter gonna learn his trade if he doesn't immerse himself in a tradition?
He was a wordsmith before he started singing trad English.
He did more than learn songs, he learned how to construct them. He didn't pull his punches, even if they weren't there to smash the system. They woke up people.
And his influence - you can't argue he didn't influenced generations.

There were better singers, better musicians, but the prize is not for those. It is for his words, and their influence. Had he been British he would be Sir or even Lord Dylan of Laugharne.