The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1911 by Hungarian-American journalist and publisher Joseph Pulitzer. It is recognized as one of the highest awards in journalism, literature and music. Official Website: Pulitzer Prize
The winners of the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes were announce on April 20, 2009. Among the winners was the New York Times with five 2009 Pulitzers, including one for breaking the call-girl story that ended Governor Eliot Spitzer's political career.Review Journal: Las Vegas Sun Wins Pulitzer (April 20, 2009)
Notable Winners
- The only U.S. President to win, John F. Kennedy was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book Profiles in Courage
- Bob Dylan: Special Citation-Music (2008)
- Roger Ebert: Criticism (1975)
- Duke Ellington: Special Citation-Music (1999)
- Ernest Hemingway: Fiction (1953)
- Wynton Marsalis: Music (1997)
- Toni Morrison: Fiction (1988)
- Stephen Sondheim: Drama (1985)
- Eudora Welty: Fiction (1973)
Multiple Prize Winners
- Robert Frost: Poetry (1924, 1931, 1937 and 1943); Autobiography (1971)
- Eugene O'Neill: Drama (1920, 1922, 1928 and 1957)
- Edward Albee: Drama (1967, 1975 and 1994)
- Thornton Wilder: Novel/Fiction (1928; Drama: 1938 and 1943)
- William Faulkner: Fiction (1955 and 1963)
- David McCullough: Biography (1993 and 2002)
- Arthur Miller: Drama (1949; Music (1962)
- Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein: Drama (1950) and Special Awards and Citations- Letters (1944)
- Booth Tarkington: Novel/Fiction (1919 and 1922)
- John Updike: Fiction (1982 and 1991)
- Tennessee Williams: Drama (1948 and 1955)
- August Wilson: Drama (1987 and 1990)
References
Fast Facts
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1911
Joseph Pulitzer bequeathed a portion of his estate to Columbia University in order to establish a journalism school as well as the Pulitzer PrizeOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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1912
Columbia School of Journalism was founded
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Awarded annually in 21 categoriesOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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Although an individual may be named within the citation, the Public Service prize is awarded to a newspaper and is the only prize to receive a gold medalOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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Winners of the other 20 categories receive a $10,000 cash award and a certificateOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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Sculptor Daniel Chester French and his associate Henry Augustus Lukeman designed the gold medal awarded to the Public Service prize winner Official Website: Pulitzer Prize
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Since 1984, the award ceremony has been held annually during a May luncheon at Columbia University with prize winners receiving their awards from the presidentOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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102 judges serve on 20 separate juries and are asked to make three nominations in each of the 21 categoriesOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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The three finalists in each category are the only entries in the competition that are recognized by the Pulitzer office as nominees.
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What defines a work as "distinguished" is determined by the Nominating Juries and The Pulitzer Prize BoardOfficial Website: Pulitzer Prize
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There are currently 21 categories of Pulitzer Prizes
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The NY Times won seven in Pulitzer Prizes in 2002, the majority were for coverage of the 9/11 attacksReview Journal: Las Vegas Sun Wins Pulitzer (April 20, 2009)
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The Las Vegas Sun won one Pulitzer for investigating the high death rate of construction workers on the Las Vegas StripReview Journal: Las Vegas Sun Wins Pulitzer (April 20, 2009)
