Patti Smith delivered a message of hope and perseverance as she accepted the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts in Oviedo on Friday.

The American singer, poet and writer urged people to work together and support younger generations during her acceptance speech.

Approaching her 80th birthday, Smith said she saw the honour as encouragement to keep creating and finding ways to help others.

‘I also believe the award is an incentive to continue working and evolving, to find new ways to help people as best we can and give hope and stability to new generations,’ she said.

The Horses artist paid tribute to her fellow winners, saying their achievements had improved lives through environmental protection, human rights, exploration and intellectual curiosity.

‘I feel very fortunate to be among them,’ she said.

Smith also thanked the Princess of Asturias Foundation for giving her opportunities to meet, speak with and perform for young people during her visit.

Reflecting on the setbacks behind the recipients’ achievements, she said their careers had brought both moments of fulfilment and the sting of defeat.

‘And yet here we all are, and we have kept going,’ she said.

For Smith, the connections forged in Oviedo would outlast the ceremony.

‘We will all leave here with a greater prize than we anticipated: lasting friendship,’ she told the audience.

She also recalled the message of unity in a song written with her late husband, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, before surprising the audience with an unaccompanied passage from Wing.

Introducing the performance, Smith dedicated it to the heart everyone shares – one that ‘keeps beating as people strive to move forward and build a better world’.

Her fellow recipients this year included footballer Lionel Messi, British novelist Julian Barnes, historian Timothy Garton Ash and astronaut Christina Koch.