A photographer and photo editor at The New York Times for 31 years, freelance journalist Jose R. Lopez has shot presidents, Super Bowls and the end of the Bosnian War. He also contributed to The Times’s 2002 Breaking News and Feature Photography Prize-winning staff entries on the September 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan.
As has become customary in recent cycles, Lopez covered the various stages of this year's Pulitzer Prize process. To learn more about Lopez and his remarkable career, please visit his website. (All photographs by Jose R. Lopez/The Pulitzer Prizes.)
After already getting more than 19 inches of snow in NYC for the year, more of the white stuff fell on the first day of the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes judging.
Snow covered the steps leading up to the entrance of Pulitzer Hall.
Deputy Administrator Bud Kliment lays out the name badges of this year’s jurors.
Jurors make their way into the World Room.
A tableau of both the footwear and jackets that most jurors were wearing on the opening day of the meeting.
Administrator Marjorie Miller shares a laugh with David E. Hoffman (left) upon his arrival.
Lauren McGaughy (left) admires the “throws” that Tim Morris (right) brought to the table from this year’s Mardi Gras.
Marjorie Miller addresses the jurors.
Marjorie Miller reminds the juries of the serious nature of the work that awaits them.
Jurors filled the World Room as they listened to Marjorie Miller.
Amid inclement weather that had not dovetailed with in-person Journalism juror meetings for more than a decade, some jurors were forced to Zoom in rather than attending corporeally.
Sharif Durhams listens intently to Miller’s opening remarks.
Jurors listen to Miller.
While en route, Brian Stelter listened remotely to Miller's remarks.
Jurors commence work in the World Room.
Austin Bogues offers his opinion during a discussion with fellow jurors.
David E. Hoffman confers with his colleagues.
Georgetown-trained Kremlinologist, five-time Jeopardy! champion and onetime Senate foreign affairs hand Tom Nichols is a man of multifarious talents — but even an archmaester like Dr. Nichols is not immune to the perils of wintertime Northeastern logistics. He Zoomed in on the first day of judging before joining his colleagues in person at the snowy Citadel for the second day of meetings.
James Barragán (center) and Kirsten Danis (right) review entries.
Michele Matassa Flores gestures as she speaks to colleague Erin Perry via Zoom.
Erin Perry is seen on a laptop screen as Sharif Durhams reads an entry.
James Dao (right) listens as Bill Adair (foreground) expatiates on an entry.
Philip Bennett confers with his fellow jurors.
Amalie Nash (left) listens to Keith Herbert as he opines on an entry.
Paul Haven is seen on an iPad during the first day of judging.
Chair Richard G. Jones (left) fields an inquiry from Opinion Writing colleague Jamie Heller (right).
Opinion Writing jurors review entries during a lull in the deliberations.
Joe Richman listens to an entry.
The Audio Reporting jury reviews entries in a smaller conference room.
Marjorie Miller meets with the Photography jury.
Photography jurors review an entry (1 of 3).
Photography jurors review an entry (2 of 3).
Photography jurors review an entry. (3 of 3)
Marjorie Miller and Bud Kliment review an index of crossfiled entries. Under contemporary Pulitzer rules, an entry may only be nominated by the jury in one category, prompting frequent consultations with Miller, Kliment and Senior Manager Sean Murphy (who serves as their primary briefer on entry components throughout the meetings) as iterations of certain submissions advance and others are ultimately forestalled.
Feature Writing Chair Erika Hayasaki takes notes on an entry.
Mary McNamara discusses an entry with her Feature Writing colleagues.
Maurice Tamman (left) and Bruce Orwall (right) review entries in the Explanatory Reporting category.
Chair Azmat Khan (left) confers with her International Reporting colleagues.
Pulitzer veteran Charles Ornstein extemporizes to fellow Feature Writing jurors.
Public Service Chair Ann Marie Lipinski and Brian Stelter discuss the merits of an entry.
Lead Pulitzer developer Ivan Lozuk confers with Photography Chair Lauren Walsh on a technological matter. Lozuk served as the original developer of the Pulitzer entry sites in the early 2010s and has since expanded his purview to encompass both Pulitzer.org and the Pulitzer on the Road microsite in recent years.
Jurors mingle at the cocktail hour following the first day of judging.
The cocktail hour gives jurors an opportunity to meet one another in earnest and share their stories. (Fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine will note that the whole affair is not entirely unlike a Dominion War-era company of Klingons seeking respite at Quark's, although Pulitzer jurors are generally more partial to conventional Earthly varietals than bloodwine!)
Jurors continue to relax during the cocktail hour (1 of 3).
Jurors continue to relax during the cocktail hour (2 of 3).
Jurors continue to relax during the cocktail hour (3 of 3).
Faced with one of the larger queues among the categories, indomitable Opinion Writing Chair Richard G. Jones continued to work as his colleagues enjoyed the cocktail hour.
Sandy Ciric (left) chats with fellow Photography juror Jacqueline Larma. A venerable entry preparer who has liaised with the Pulitzer Office for many years, Ciric stepped in swiftly to pinch-hit when Getty Images colleague Pancho Bernasconi was forced to withdraw due to an intractable conflict.
The second day of judging commenced with jurors speaking to journalism students.
Tim Morris (left) raises his hand as votes for an entry to advance in the process.
Investigative Reporting Chair Brody Mullins gestures during a conference with his colleagues.
Bud Kliment expounds on the jury report process to members of the Investigative Reporting jury. These reports elucidate the panel's respective recommendations to the Pulitzer Board.
Zachary Mider (left) and Manuel Torres (right) work on the second day of judging.
Marjorie Miller and Bud Kliment confer with a juror during the second day of judging.
Criticism Chair Betsy Morais (far right) confers with her fellow jurors.
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary Chair Mariel Garza (left) leads a discussion with her colleagues.
Jurors observe students demonstrating on the second day of the meetings.
Kirsten Danis reads her phone during a recusal period stemming from the discussion of a conflicted entry; these can run the gamut from professional affiliations (a juror must recuse on any entries from their employer) to personal friendships.
Manuel Torres (left) and Zachary Mider (right) help to draft the Investigative Reporting jury report.
Audio Reporting juror Robin Amer drafts part of the Audio Reporting jury report in a hallway.
Members of the Feature Writing jury toast one another with commemorative Pulitzer Prize coffee mugs.
After submitting the jury report and concluding their service, Illustrated Reporting and Commentary jurors Ann Telnaes, Susie Cagle and Mariel Garza received Pulitzer coffee mugs.
Local Reporting jurors pose for a selfie after completing their duties.
Maurice Tamman shakes hands with Bud Kliment as he departs on the second day.
Public Service juror Tracy Weber hugs Chair Ann Marie Lipinski as the former departs following the second day of judging. Fellow juror Katie Sanders looks on.
Ann Marie Lipinski finishes the Public Service jury report.
The day after the Journalism deliberations, the Music jury convenes in the World Room.
Music jurors discuss various entries.
Music Chair John V. Brown, Jr. was all smiles at times during the meeting.
A juror reviews a score from the Pulitzer entry site on a laptop.
Maria Schneider expounds on an entry as Ellen Reid (right) listens.
Alejandro L. Madrid opines on an entry.
A week later, the Drama jury convenes in a classroom near the Pulitzer Office.
Harvey Young analyzes an entry in the category.
Chair Helen Shaw (left) and Quiara Alegría Hudes ruminate as a discussion continues.
Charles McNulty gesticulates as he emphasizes his opinion on an entry.
Marjorie Miller announces the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes via livestream.
