2026 Plan of Award

THE PULITZER PRIZE BOARD

ANNE APPLEBAUM, Author and Staff Writer, The Atlantic

JOHN ARCHIBALD, Reporter and Columnist, AL.com

NANCY BARNES, Editor-at-Large, The Boston Globe

NICOLE CARROLL, Executive Director, NEWSWELL, and Professor of Practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University

GINA CHUA, Executive Editor at Large, Semafor; Executive Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York

JELANI COBB, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University

GABRIEL ESCOBAR, Editor and Senior Vice President, The Philadelphia Inquirer

VIJAY IYER, Composer, Pianist and Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts, Harvard University

CARLOS LOZADA, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times

KELLY LYTLE HERNÁNDEZ, Professor of History, African American Studies & Urban Planning and Thomas E. Lifka Chair of History, University of California, Los Angeles

KEVIN MERIDA, Independent Journalist

MARJORIE MILLER, Administrator, The Pulitzer Prizes, Columbia University

VIET THANH NGUYEN, University Professor, Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity and Comparative Literature, University of Southern California

JULIE PACE, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, The Associated Press

DAVID REMNICK, Editor and Staff Writer, The New Yorker

GINGER THOMPSON, Managing Editor, ProPublica

NATASHA TRETHEWEY, Board of Trustees Professor of English, Northwestern University

The Pulitzer Prizes and Fellowships, established in Columbia University by the will of the first Joseph Pulitzer, are awarded by the University on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board. The Board meets twice annually. The Prizes are announced during the spring.

Nominating Jurors for the Prizes are appointed by the Board in each category. They are asked to judge independently and collectively, and to submit three nominations. Under Pulitzer’s will, the Board is charged with the responsibility and authority to accept, substitute or reject these nominations, and may in extraordinary circumstances offer its own. Each Nominating Jury should submit to the Board three nominations in its category. These must be listed in alphabetical order. Each must include a statement as to why the Jury believes it merits a Pulitzer Prize, without expressing a preference among the three.

A. PRIZES IN JOURNALISM

The following awards will be made annually as Prizes in Journalism based on material coming from a United States newspaper, magazine or news site that publishes regularly during the calendar year and that adheres to the highest journalistic principles. News sites associated with broadcast and audio outlets are eligible in all categories except for Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography. Audio content from independent American producers and U.S. broadcast outlets is eligible in the Audio Reporting category. Entries that involve collaboration between an eligible organization and ineligible media will be considered if the eligible organization does the preponderance of the work and publishes it at least simultaneously with the ineligible partner.

In the Public Service category, the Pulitzer Prize Board recognizes the work of newspapers, magazines or eligible news sites; in all other categories, the work of individuals where possible. In all categories except Illustrated Reporting and Commentary and the Photography categories, the Board seeks a high quality of writing and original reporting and, in all categories, journalistic excellence across all formats, in print or online or both.

1. For a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper, magazine or news site through the use of its journalistic resources, including the use of stories, editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics, videos, databases, multimedia or interactive presentations or other visual material, a gold medal.

2. For a distinguished example of breaking news coverage that captures events with accuracy, originality, insight, clarity and context within the first week, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

3. For a distinguished example of investigative reporting, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

4. For a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

5. For a distinguished example of sustained, ongoing coverage by up to two reporters on a beat or topic of significant public interest, demonstrating originality and deep expertise, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

6. For a distinguished example of coverage of significant issues of concern to a local community, city or state, demonstrating originality and continuous community connection, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

7. For a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

8. For a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

9. For distinguished feature writing giving prime consideration to quality of writing, originality and concision, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

10. For distinguished criticism, using any available journalistic tool, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

11. For distinguished editorials, columns or other written commentary, augmented by any available journalistic tool, containing well-reasoned and compelling arguments on topics of public interest, whether originally researched and reported, or informed by personal experience. The test of excellence is clarity, moral purpose, sound logic, engaging prose, and power to influence public opinion, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

12. For a distinguished portfolio of editorial cartoons or other illustrated work (still, animated, or both) characterized by political insight, editorial effectiveness, or public service value, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

13. For a distinguished example of breaking news photography, which may be a single photograph or series of photographs of an event that occurs with no advance notice and requires spontaneous coverage in the moment, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

14. For a distinguished example of feature photography, which may be a single photograph or series of photographs of general news that may be taken over time and that illuminate a subject in great depth, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

15. For a distinguished example of audio journalism that serves the public interest, characterized by revelatory reporting and illuminating storytelling, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

B. PRIZES IN BOOKS

The following awards will be made annually as Prizes in Books. Eligibility for these awards shall be restricted to works first published in the United States during the year and made available in hardcover or bound paperback form for purchase by the general public:

1. For distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

2. For a distinguished and appropriately documented book on the history of the United States, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

3. For a distinguished and appropriately documented biography by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

4. For a distinguished and factual memoir or autobiography by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

5. For a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

6. For a distinguished and appropriately documented book of nonfiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

C. PRIZE IN DRAMA

The following award will be made annually as a Prize in Drama:

For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

E. FELLOWSHIPS

The following Fellowships will be awarded annually:

On the recommendation of the Faculty of the Graduate School of Journalism, four Fellowships of $7,500 each to enable four of its outstanding graduates to travel, report and study abroad and one Fellowship for $7,500 to an outstanding graduate who wishes to specialize in drama, music, literary, film or television criticism.

F. RULES OF THE PLAN OF AWARD

All entries in Journalism, Books, Drama and Music must be submitted through the Pulitzer entry site.

The competition for prizes is limited to work done during the calendar year, ending December 31. Deadlines for entries differ. Journalism entries must be submitted on or before January 25 (or the following Monday when that date falls on a weekend) to cover work in the previous calendar year. Book entries must be submitted on or before July 15 of the year of publication in the case of books published between January 1 and July 15, and on or before October 15 in the case of books published between July 15 and December 31. For the Prize in Drama, works produced in the United States from January 1 through December 31 are considered. For the Prize in Music, works given their American premiere in a public performance or in the public release of a recording during the twelve months from January 1 through December 31 are considered. Drama and Music entries must be submitted on or before January 5, 2026.

In the Journalism awards, no more than three entries may be made by the editors of a single newspaper, magazine, wire service, syndicate or other eligible news site in any one category. The same content can be entered in no more than two categories. Except for Beat Reporting (where no more than two individuals may be named), up to five individuals may be named on a team entry and should be the strongest contributors to the work, whether they are reporters, photographers, videographers, producers or journalists who have worked in more than one format on the submitted entry. If the entry requires more than five names, it should be in the name of the staff.

What kind of work can be entered? In the two photo categories, the entries must be still photographs that have appeared online or in print. In all other Journalism categories, we seek the best work in whatever format is most effective. Entries can be text or videos or audio slideshows or interactive graphics or other multimedia and visual journalism or any combination of those elements.

How many items can be entered in each category? Most have seven, a few have 15 and one has five.

Here’s the breakdown: Public Service entries may have up to 15 items, including articles, running blogs, editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics, videos, interactive graphics, multimedia projects or databases. The Illustrated Reporting and Commentary, Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography categories can have up to fifteen items. Illustrated Reporting and Commentary may include still or animated entries. Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography must be still images. Feature Writing entries are limited to five items.

All other categories--Breaking News Reporting, Investigative Reporting, Explanatory Reporting, Beat Reporting, Local Reporting, National Reporting, International Reporting, Criticism, Opinion Writing and Audio Reporting--can have up to seven items. Those items can be in any format that most clearly and powerfully tells the story, whether in text, video, multimedia, interactive, or any combination of those formats. Audio Reporting entries must be no longer than five hours. Transcripts of each episode also are required.

The judges seek to experience your work as your readers did. Please be concise and judicious in your choice of material, taking care not to stretch the definition of what constitutes a single item in an entry. Online material must be published on an eligible website during the calendar year.

In the Photography categories, digital images should be submitted with other supporting material. No photographs may be manipulated or altered, apart from standard cropping or editing.

For the Book Prizes, each book published between January 1 and July 15 shall be submitted to the Pulitzer entry site by July 14. Books published between July 15 and December 31 shall be submitted by October 13. Any book scheduled for publication between the deadline and December 31 must nevertheless be submitted in galley or digital proof form by October 13. Books that miss the deadline cannot be submitted the following calendar year. For the Prize in Drama, a copy of the script shall be submitted to the entry site. A recorded copy of the work performed is strongly urged but not required. For the Prize in Music, an entry shall be accompanied by a recording; a score of the work is strongly urged but is not required.

All entries should include biographies and pictures of entrants and each entry in Journalism, Books, Drama and Music must be accompanied by a nonrefundable handling fee of $75, payable online via credit card. The entries submitted by the Journalism winners and finalists will be posted on the Pulitzer Prize archival website (www.pulitzer.org).

Any significant challenge to the honesty, accuracy or fairness of an entry in any category, as well as responses to the challenge, should be included in the submission. Published letters of complaint, corrections or retractions are examples of items relevant to the judging process. If in any year all the competitors in any category shall fail to gain a majority vote of the Pulitzer Prize Board, the Prize or Prizes may be withheld. Nothing in this plan shall be deemed to limit in any way the authority and control of the Pulitzer Prize Board. Except for members of the Pulitzer Prize Board, any author, composer or journalist, including previous winners, is eligible for consideration each year for any award.