Named for Hungarian-American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer (who was the first to endorse university-level training for journalists), the Pulitzer Prize was established as an incentive to excellence, as specified in his will in 1904, which also bestowed an endowment for the creation of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, where the prizes were first presented in 1917.
This afternoon, Monday, May 4, at 3 pm, the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes (decided by the Pulitzer Prize Board, which meets twice annually) were announced in 23 categories, encompassing journalism, books, music, and drama, by Board Member and Administrator Marjorie Miller via livestream from Columbia. In addition to the honor, each winner is the recipient of a $15,000 cash prize.
For the Drama Prize, awarded to “a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life,” a jury, composed of critics, academics, and playwrights, reviews scripts submitted by New York and regional productions following an early January deadline (eligible works for this year opened in the US between January 1-December 31, 2025), from which three finalists are chosen. Although the award is conferred on the playwright of the winning work, the jury also considers the production of the play.
Finalists for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Drama are Bowl EP by Nazareth Hassan, Liberation by Bess Wohl, and Meet the Cartozians by Talene Monahon. The Prize was awarded to Liberation by Bess Wohl.
To see the full list of nominees and winners in all categories, visit the Pulitzer Prize website.
