The 2008 Pulitzer Prize Winners were announced on Monday April 7, 2008. The Washington Post was the big winner of the prestigious award ceremony, picking up six of the coveted awards given for excellence in the field. The Pulitzer Prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer in 1917 and are announced every year in April. The prizes are given as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements and musical composition.

• Public Service:
  • The Washington Post for coverage of the mistreatment of wounded veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
• Breaking News Reporting:
  • Staff of the Washington Post for coverage of the Virginia Tech Shooting.
• Investigative Reporting:
  • Walt Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune staff. The Times won for stories on toxic products imported from China. The Tribune won for exposing the poor regulation of toys, car seats and cribs.
• Explanatory Reporting:
  • Amy Harmon of the New York Times for her continuing coverage on the moral and ethical implications of DNA testing.
• Local Reporting:
  • David Umhoefer of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a story on how the local government avoided tax laws to enhance the pensions of county employees.
• National Reporting:
  • Jo Becker and Barton Gellman of the Washington Post for a story on Vice President Dick Cheney's influence on national policy.
• International Reporting
  • Steve Fainaru of the Washington Post for his series on private contractors operating in Iraq.
• Feature Writing:
  • Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post for his story on violinist Joshua Bell.
• Commentary:
  • Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post for columns on the state of the national economy.
• Criticism:
  • Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe for his commentary on the arts.
• Editorial Writing:
  • No award given in 2008.
• Editorial Cartooning:
  • Michael Ramirez of Investor's Business Daily for "provocative cartoons."
• Breaking News Photography:
  • Adrees Latif of Reuters for his photograph of fatally wounded Japanese videographer during the Myanmar Protests.
• Feature Photography
  • Preston Gannaway of the Concord Monitor for her photographs of a family's struggle with terminal illness.
• Fiction:
  • Junot Diaz for "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."
• Drama:
  • Tracy Letts for "August:Osage County."
• History:
  • Daniel Walker Howe for "What Hath God Wrought: the Transformation of America, 1815-1848."
• Biography or Autobiography:
  • John Matteson for "Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father."
• Poetry:
  • Robert Hass for "Time and Materials."
• General Non-Fiction:
  • Saul Friedlander for "The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945."
• Music:
  • David Lang for "The Little Match Girl Passion."
• Bob Dylan was awarded a special Pulitzer prize for his impact on popular music and American culture.