First awarded on June 4, 1917 and named for Joseph Pulitzer, the Pulitzer Prizes measure excellence in journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition.

Joseph Pulitzer was an extremely well-respected Hungarian-American newspaper publisher and journalist in the late 19th century. He was the first to express the need to train journalists at the university level. In 1904, Pulitzer’s will stipulated and funded the establishment of the Pulitzer Prizes as an incentive to achieve excellence in journalism, drama, and education. Since the Pulitzer’s inception, the winning categories have been increased to include poetry, music, and photography. There are now a total of 21 categories.

The award recipients are announced each April and administered by Columbia University in New York City. Unlike the Nobel, a medal is not always given to the winners of the Pulitzer Prize. In 20 of the Pulitzer categories, winners receive a $10,000 cash award and a certificate. Only the winning newspaper in the Public Service category of the Journalism competition is awarded a gold medal (shown here), designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French.

Pulitzer Prize winners have included: writer Ernest Hemingway, film critic Roger Ebert, writer Toni Morrison, musician Bob Dylan, and playwright Thornton Wilder has won three.

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Text: Ilana Fayerman