2009 Pulitzer Prize
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Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Associated Press |
For its haunting chronicle of death, destruction, heartbreak and renewal when an earthquake devastated Sichuan, China. |
| Carolyn Cole |
For her valorous on-the-spot coverage of political violence in Kenya, capturing the terror as rebellion and reprisals jolted the nation. |
| Patrick Farrell |
''A People in Despair: Haiti's Year Without Mercy.''
For his provocative, impeccably composed images of despair after Hurricane Ike and other lethal storms caused a humanitarian disaster in Haiti. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Adam Liptak |
For his lucid exposition of how the cornerstones of the American judicial system differ from those in other democratic nations, awakening readers to the benefits and drawbacks of those differences. |
| Robert O'Harrow, Jr. |
For their vivid, richly documented explanation of why AIG, the insurance industry giant, nearly collapsed and what lessons the crisis holds for the nation\u2019s policymakers. |
| Brady Dennis |
For their vivid, richly documented explanation of why AIG, the insurance industry giant, nearly collapsed and what lessons the crisis holds for the nation\u2019s policymakers. |
| Bettina Boxall |
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. |
| Julie Cart |
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. |
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Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
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The Washington Post
For its sensitive and moving examination of how females in the developing world are often oppressed from birth to death, a reporting project marked by indelible portraits of women and girls and enhanced by multimedia presentations. |
| Rukmini Maria Callimachi |
For her in-depth investigation of the exploitation of impoverished children in West and Central Africa who are often traded like animals by adults who prize their labor. |
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The New York Times
For its masterful, groundbreaking coverage of America\u2019s deepening military and political challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, reporting frequently done under perilous conditions. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Eugene Robinson |
2008 presidential campaign that focus on the election of the first African-American president, showcasing graceful writing and grasp of the larger historic picture. |
| Regina Brett |
For her range of compelling columns that move the heart, challenge authority and often trigger action while giving readers deeper insight into life\u2019s challenges. |
| Paul Krugman |
For his prophetic columns on economic peril during a year of financial calamity, blending the scholarly knowledge of a distinguished economist with the skill of a wordsmith. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Mark Mahoney |
For his relentless, down-to-earth editorials on the perils of local government secrecy, effectively admonishing citizens to uphold their right to know |
| Charles Lane |
For his succinct and insightful editorials on the nation\u2019s economic collapse, zeroing in on problems and offering solutions with a steady voice of reason. |
| Marie Dillon |
For their persistent campaign to reform statehouse ethics, drawing on corruption in the governor\u2019s office to drive home their successful call for legislative action. |
| R. Bruce Dold |
For their persistent campaign to reform statehouse ethics, drawing on corruption in the governor\u2019s office to drive home their successful call for legislative action. |
| John P. McCormick |
For their persistent campaign to reform statehouse ethics, drawing on corruption in the governor\u2019s office to drive home their successful call for legislative action. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Damon Winter |
For his memorable array of pictures deftly capturing multiple facets of Barack Obama\u2019s presidential campaign. |
| Carol Guzy |
For her powerfully intimate coverage of the perils and sorrow of childbirth in Sierra Leone, where women face the world\u2019s highest rate of maternal mortality. |
| Sonya Hebert |
For her empathetic portrait of palliative care in a Texas medical center as terminally ill patients cope with the end of their lives. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Elizabeth Strout |
Olive Kitteridge
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| Louise Erdrich |
The Plague of Doves
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| Christine Schutt |
All Souls
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Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Lynn Nottage |
Ruined
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| Gina Gionfriddo |
Becky Shaw
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| Lin-Manuel Miranda |
In the Heights
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| Quiara AlegrÃa Hudes |
In the Heights
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Pulitzer Prize for History
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Drew Gilpin Faust |
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War
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| G. Calvin Mackenzie |
The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s
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| Robert Weisbrot |
The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s
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| Annette Gordon-Reed |
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
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Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Jon Meacham |
American Lion
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| H. W. Brands |
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
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| Steve Coll |
The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century
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Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| W. S. Merwin |
The Shadow of Sirius
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| Frank Bidart |
Watching the Spring Festival
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| Ruth Stone |
What Love Comes To
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Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Arthur Herman |
Gandhi and Churchill: The Epic Rivalry that Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age
An authoritative, deeply researched book that achieves an extraordinary balance in weighing two mighty protagonists against each other. |
| Douglas A. Blackmon |
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II
A precise and eloquent work that examines a deliberate system of racial suppression and that rescues a multitude of atrocities from virtual obscurity. |
| William I. Hitchcock |
The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe
A heavily documented exploration of the overlooked suffering of noncombatants in the victory over Nazi Germany, written with the dash of a novelist and the authority of a scholar. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Music
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Steve Reich |
Double Sextet
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| Don Byron |
7 Etudes for Solo Piano
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| Harold Meltzer |
Brion
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Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
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Las Vegas Sun
For the exposure of the high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip amid lax enforcement of regulations, leading to changes in policy and improved safety conditions. |
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The New York Times
For its comprehensive coverage of the economic meltdown of 2008, setting a standard for depth and sophistication while making the arcane world of finance and banking accessible to an often bewildered public. |
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The St. Petersburg Times
For \u201CPolitiFact,\u201D its fact-checking initiative during the 2008 presidential campaign that used probing reporters and the power of the World Wide Web to examine more than 750 political claims, separating rhetoric from truth to enlighten voters. (Moved by the Board to the National Reporting category.) |
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Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| David Barstow |
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. |
| Paul Pringle |
For his meticulously researched stories that, in the face of threats, exposed financial abuses by the head of California\u2019s largest union, leading to investigations, the leader\u2019s departure from office and repayment of misappropriated funds. |
| Susanne Rust |
For their powerful revelations that the government was failing to protect the public from dangerous chemicals in everyday products, such as some \u201Cmicrowave-safe\u201D containers, stirring action by Congress and federal agencies. |
| Meg Kissinger |
For their powerful revelations that the government was failing to protect the public from dangerous chemicals in everyday products, such as some \u201Cmicrowave-safe\u201D containers, stirring action by Congress and federal agencies. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Ryan Gabrielson |
For their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff\u2019s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety. |
| Paul Giblin |
For their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff\u2019s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety. |
| Michael DeMocker |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Ryan Smith |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Brendan McCarthy |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Jim Schaefer |
Detroit Free Press
For their uncovering of a pattern of lies by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick 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. |
| M.L. Elrick |
Detroit Free Press
For their uncovering of a pattern of lies by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick 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. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Lane DeGregory |
For 'The Girl in the Window,' 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. |
| Amy Ellis Nutt |
For her poignant, deeply reported story of a chiropractor who suffered a severe stroke following brain surgery and became a wildly creative artist, in many ways estranged from his former self. |
| John Barry |
For his concise, captivating story about a rescued baby dolphin that needed a new tail and became a famous survivor, illuminating the mysterious connection between human beings and animals. |
| Diane Suchetka |
For her harrowing tale of a mechanic whose arms were reattached after being severed in an accident, a disciplined narrative that takes readers on the man\u2019s painful personal and physical journey to recover. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Holland Cotter |
For his wide ranging reviews of art, from Manhattan to China, marked by acute observation, luminous writing and dramatic storytelling. |
| Inga Saffron |
For her fascinating and convincing architectural critiques that boldly confront important topics, from urban planning issues to the newest skyscraper. |
| Sebastian Smee |
For his fresh, accessible and energetic reviews on the New England art scene, creating for readers a sense of discovery even as he provides discerning analysis. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Steve Breen |
For his agile use of a classic style to produce wide ranging cartoons that engage readers with power, clarity and humor. |
| Mike Thompson |
For his compelling collection of print and animated cartoons that blend the great traditions of the craft with new online possibilities. |
| Matt Wuerker |
For his engaging mix of art and ideas, resulting in cleverly conceived cartoons that persuade rather than rant and that sometimes use animation to widen their impact. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
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Houston Chronicle
For taking full advantage of online technology and its newsroom expertise to become a lifeline to the city when Hurricane Ike struck, providing vital minute-by-minute updates on the storm, its flood surge and its aftermath. |
| Lee Enterprises |
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
For its creative and aggressive coverage, both online and in print, of a city hall shooting that left six people dead, displaying an exemplary blend of speed and rigor in its reporting. |
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The New York Times
For its swift and sweeping coverage of a sex scandal that resulted in the resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, breaking the story on its Web site and then developing it with authoritative, rapid-fire reports. |
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Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Ryan Gabrielson |
For their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff\u2019s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety. |
| Paul Giblin |
For their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff\u2019s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety. |
| Michael DeMocker |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Ryan Smith |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Brendan McCarthy |
For their multifaceted examination of a murder case that showed deep understanding of the community, its social ills and the often frustrating path to justice. |
| Jim Schaefer |
Detroit Free Press
For their uncovering of a pattern of lies by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick 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. |
| M.L. Elrick |
Detroit Free Press
For their uncovering of a pattern of lies by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick 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. |
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Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Nominations »
| Nominee |
Nominated Work |
| Amy Goldstein |
For their relentless exploration of America\u2019s network of immigration detention centers, melding reporting and computer analysis to expose sometimes deadly abuses and spur corrective steps. |
| Dana Priest |
For their relentless exploration of America\u2019s network of immigration detention centers, melding reporting and computer analysis to expose sometimes deadly abuses and spur corrective steps. |
| John Shiffman |
For their exhaustive reports on how political interests have eroded the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency and placed the nation\u2019s environment in greater jeopardy, setting the stage for remedial action. |
| John Sullivan |
For their exhaustive reports on how political interests have eroded the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency and placed the nation\u2019s environment in greater jeopardy, setting the stage for remedial action. |
| Tom Avril |
For their exhaustive reports on how political interests have eroded the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency and placed the nation\u2019s environment in greater jeopardy, setting the stage for remedial action. |
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The Wall Street Journal
For its highly detailed coverage of the collapse of America\u2019s financial system, explicating key decisions, capturing the sense of calamity and charting the human toll. |
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Tampa Bay Times
For \u201CPolitiFact,\u201D its fact-checking initiative during the 2008 presidential campaign that used probing reporters and the power of the World Wide Web to examine more than 750 political claims, separating rhetoric from truth to enlighten voters. |
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