2009 Pulitzer Prize
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Pulitzer Prize
s were announced on April 20, 2009, the 93rd annual awards.
The New York Times
won five awards this year, with the St. Petersburg Times
being the only other multi-prize winner with two. Three organizations were awarded prizes for the first time: Las Vegas Sun
, East Valley Tribune
and The Post-Star
.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
s were announced on April 20, 2009, the 93rd annual awards.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
won five awards this year, with the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
being the only other multi-prize winner with two. Three organizations were awarded prizes for the first time: Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas Sun
The Las Vegas Sun is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. It is one of Las Vegas, Nevada's two daily newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group....
, East Valley Tribune
East Valley Tribune
The East Valley Tribune is a publication concentrating on cities within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek....
and The Post-Star
The Post-Star
The Post-Star is a daily newspaper in Glens Falls, New York. Its circulation is approximately 35,000. It serves the counties of Warren, Washington and Saratoga in New York State including the cities of Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs. It is the only daily newspaper published in Warren County...
.
Journalism
| Public service Pulitzer Prize for Public Service The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service has been awarded since 1918 for a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper or news site through the use of its journalistic resources. Those resources, as well as reporting, may include editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics,... |
Las Vegas Sun Las Vegas Sun The Las Vegas Sun is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. It is one of Las Vegas, Nevada's two daily newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group.... and notably Alexandra Berzon Alexandra Berzon Alexandra Berzon is an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering Las Vegas, Nevada. She is best known for a series of investigative stories on construction worker deaths on the Las Vegas Strip for which her paper, the Las Vegas Sun, received a 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service,... |
" ... for the exposure of the high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester... amid lax enforcement of regulations, leading to changes in policy and improved safety conditions." Original series |
| Breaking news reporting Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting is a Pulitzer Prize awarded for a distinguished example of breaking news, local reporting on news of the moment... |
The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... |
" ... for its swift and sweeping coverage of a sex scandal that resulted in the resignation of Gov. Governor of New York The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her... Eliot Spitzer Eliot Spitzer Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011... , breaking the story on its Web site and then developing it with authoritative, rapid-fire reports." |
| Investigative reporting Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting has been awarded since 1953, under one name or another, for a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single article or series in print journalism... |
David Barstow David Barstow -Life:Born in Boston, he received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1986. Barstow has worked for The New York Times since 1999, and has been an investigative reporter there since 2002.He worked for The St... of The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... |
" ... for his tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, working as radio and television analysts, had been co-opted by the Pentagon to make its case for the war in Iraq, and how many of them also had undisclosed ties to companies that benefited from policies they defended." Original series, pt. 1, Original series, pt. 2 |
| Explanatory reporting Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting has been presented since 1998, for a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation... |
Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart of the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country.... |
" ... for their fresh and painstaking exploration into the cost and effectiveness of attempts to combat the growing menace of wildfires across the western United States." Original series |
| Local reporting Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting is awarded to an example of "local reporting that illuminates significant issues or concerns." This Pulitzer Prize was first awarded in 1948. Like most Pulitzers the winner receives a $10,000 award.-History:... |
Detroit Free Press Detroit Free Press The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"... , and notably Jim Schaefer Jim Schaefer Jim Schaefer is a journalist based in Detroit, Michigan, for The Detroit Free Press.He graduated from Ohio State University.He was an investigative producer for WXYZ-TV.He led an investigation into fentanyl.... and M.L. Elrick M.L. Elrick Michael L. Elrick is a journalist based in Detroit, Michigan, for The Detroit Free Press, and WDIV-TV.Elrick graduated from Michigan State University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.... |
" ... for their uncovering of a pattern of lies by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Kwame Kilpatrick Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice... that included denial of a sexual relationship with his female chief of staff, prompting an investigation of perjury that eventually led to jail terms for the two officials." |
| Local reporting Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting is awarded to an example of "local reporting that illuminates significant issues or concerns." This Pulitzer Prize was first awarded in 1948. Like most Pulitzers the winner receives a $10,000 award.-History:... |
Ryan Gabrielson Ryan Gabrielson Ryan Gabrielson is an investigative journalist.He graduated from the University of Arizona.He reported for the East Valley Tribune.He is a journalism fellow at University of California, Berkeley. He is currently working for California Watch as a public safety reporter.-External links:*, Berkeley... and Paul Giblin Paul Giblin Paul Giblin is an investigative journalist.He graduated from University of Arizona in 1988.He worked for the East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Arizona.He writes for the Arizona Guardian,He is a civilian spokesman for the U.S... of the East Valley Tribune East Valley Tribune The East Valley Tribune is a publication concentrating on cities within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek.... |
" ... for their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff’s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety." Original series |
| National reporting Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting has been awarded since 1948 for a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.... |
St. Petersburg Times St. Petersburg Times The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St... |
" ... for “PolitiFact,” its fact-checking initiative during the 2008 presidential campaign United States presidential election, 2008 The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365... that used probing reporters and the power of the World Wide Web World Wide Web The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet... to examine more than 750 political claims, separating rhetoric from truth to enlighten voters." |
| International reporting Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. In its first six years , it was called the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International... |
The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... |
" ... for its masterful, groundbreaking coverage of America’s deepening military and political challenges in Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... and Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... , reporting frequently done under perilous conditions." Original series |
| Feature writing Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing has been awarded since 1979 for a distinguished example of feature writing giving prime consideration to high literary quality and originality. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.-List of winners and their... |
Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times St. Petersburg Times The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St... |
" ... for her moving, richly detailed story of a neglected little girl, found in a roach-infested room, unable to talk or feed herself, who was adopted by a new family committed to her nurturing." Original series |
| Commentary Pulitzer Prize for Commentary The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary has been awarded since 1970. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.-List of winners and their official citations:... |
Eugene Robinson Eugene Robinson (journalist) Eugene Harold Robinson is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist and former assistant managing editor for The Washington Post. His columns are syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group... of The Washington Post The Washington Post The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation... |
" ... for his eloquent columns on the 2008 presidential campaign that focus on the election of the first African-American president, showcasing graceful writing and grasp of the larger historic picture." |
| Criticism Pulitzer Prize for Criticism The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by Columbia University... |
Holland Cotter Holland Cotter Holland Cotter is an art critic with the New York Times. In 2009, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Cotter was born in Connecticut and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned his A.B. from Harvard College in 1970, where he studied English literature under poet Robert Lowell and was an... of The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... |
" ... for his wide ranging reviews of art, from Manhattan to China, marked by acute observation, luminous writing and dramatic storytelling." |
| Editorial writing Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction... |
Mark Mahoney Mark Mahoney Mark Mahoney is a Boston born tattoo artist, considered the "founding father" of black and grey art with a single needle.-Biography:Many in the business consider Mahoney a living legend. He currently owns and is the principal artist at the Shamrock Social Club on Sunset Boulevand in Hollywood, CA... of The Post-Star The Post-Star The Post-Star is a daily newspaper in Glens Falls, New York. Its circulation is approximately 35,000. It serves the counties of Warren, Washington and Saratoga in New York State including the cities of Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs. It is the only daily newspaper published in Warren County... |
" ... for his relentless, down-to-earth editorials on the perils of local government secrecy, effectively admonishing citizens to uphold their right to know." |
| Editorial cartooning Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning has been awarded since 1922 for a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect... |
Steve Breen Steve Breen Stephen Paul Breen is a nationally syndicated cartoonist. He twice won the Pulitzer Prize, in 1998 and 2009.... of The San Diego Union-Tribune The San Diego Union-Tribune -Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:... |
" ... for his agile use of a classic style to produce wide ranging cartoons that engage readers with power, clarity and humor. " Cartoonist's page |
| Breaking news photography Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography The Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, has been awarded since 2000. Before 1968, there was only one photography category, the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, which was divided into the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and feature categories... |
Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald The Miami Herald The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States... |
" ... for his provocative, impeccably composed images of despair after Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954... and other lethal storms caused a humanitarian disaster in Haiti Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... ." Photographer's page |
| Feature photography Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography has been awarded since 1968 for a distinguished example of feature photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album.... |
Damon Winter Damon Winter Damon Winter is a New York based photographer who specializes in documentary, editorial, and travel photography. He received a Pulitzer Prize for feature photography in 2009 while with The New York Times.-Background:... of The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... |
" ... for his memorable array of pictures deftly capturing multiple facets of Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... ’s presidential campaign." Photographer's page |
Letters, Drama and Music Awards
| Fiction Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:... |
Olive Kitteridge Olive Kitteridge Olive Kitteridge is a collection of stories by American author Elizabeth Strout. It covers 13 connected short stories about a woman named Olive and her immediate family and friends in the town of Crosby in coastal Maine. It is also known as On the Coast of Maine... by Elizabeth Strout Elizabeth Strout Elizabeth Strout is an American author of fiction.She was born in Portland, Maine, and was raised in small towns in Maine and New Hampshire. After graduating from Bates College, she spent a year in Oxford, England, followed by studies at law school for another year... (Random House Random House Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,... ) |
| Drama Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year... |
Ruined Ruined (play) Ruined is a play by Lynn Nottage. The play won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.The play involves the plight of women in the civil war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.-Production history:... by Lynn Nottage Lynn Nottage Lynn Nottage is an American playwright whose work often deals with the lives of women of African descent, African Americans and women. She was born in Brooklyn and is a graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Drama. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005, and a MacArthur Genius... (TCG Theatre Communications Group Theatre Communications Group is an organization dedicated to the promotion of non-profit professional theatre in the United States. TCG has over 450 member theatres located in 47 states; 17,000 individual members; and a growing number of University, Funder, Business and Trustee Affiliates... ) |
| History Pulitzer Prize for History The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. Many history books have also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography... |
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family is a 2008 book by American historian Annette Gordon-Reed. It recounts the history of four generations of the African-American Hemings family, from their African and Virginia origins until the 1826 death of Thomas Jefferson, their master, Sally... by Annette Gordon-Reed Annette Gordon-Reed Annette Gordon-Reed is an American historian and law professor noted for changing scholarship on Thomas Jefferson. Gordon-Reed was educated at Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. She is Professor of Law and History at Harvard, and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe... (W.W. Norton & Company) |
| Biography | American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham Jon Meacham Jon Meacham is executive editor and executive vice president at Random House. A former editor of Newsweek and a Pulitzer Prize winning bestselling author and a commentator on politics, history, and religious faith in America, he is a contributing editor to Time magazine and editor-at-large of WNET... (Random House Random House Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,... ) |
| Poetry Pulitzer Prize for Poetry The Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:... |
The Shadow of Sirius by W.S. Merwin (Copper Canyon Press Copper Canyon Press Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, specializing in the publication of poetry and located in the picturesque town of Port Townsend, Washington. Since 1972, the Press has published poetry exclusively and has established an international reputation for its commitment to... ) |
| General Nonfiction | Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon Douglas A. Blackmon Douglas A. Blackmon is an American writer and a Pulitzer Prize winner. He won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.... (Doubleday) |
| Music Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music was first awarded in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer did not call for such a prize in his will, but had arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year... |
Double Sextet Double Sextet Double Sextet is a composition by Steve Reich scored for two sextets of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone and piano. It won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first for the composer... by Steve Reich Steve Reich Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music... (Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments.... ) |
External links
- "2009 Pulitzer Prizes for Journalism". The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. - "2009 Pulitzer Prizes for Letters, Drama and Music". The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.