The 2010 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Monday, April 12, 2010. In journalism, The Washington Post won four awards while The New York Times won three.[1] For the first time, an online source, ProPublica, won in what had previously been the sole province of print.[1] A musical, Next to Normal, won the Drama award for the first time in 14 years.[2] Country singer-songwriter Hank Williams, who died at age 29 in 1953, received a special citation.[3] The winner(s) in each category are:
Journalism
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service to Bristol Herald Courier, Virginia, "for the work of Daniel Gilbert in illuminating the murky mismanagement of natural-gas royalties owed to thousands of land owners in southwest Virginia, spurring remedial action by state lawmakers."[4]
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting – Michael Moss and members of The New York Times staff "for relentless reporting on contaminated hamburger and other food safety issues that, in print and online, spotlighted defects in federal regulation and led to improved practices."[7]
Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting – Matt Richtel and members of The New York Times staff "for incisive work, in print and online, on the hazardous use of cell phones, computers and other devices while operating cars and trucks, stimulating widespread efforts to curb distracted driving."[9]
Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing – Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post "for his haunting story about parents, from varying walks of life, who accidentally kill their children by forgetting them in cars."[11]
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary – Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post "for her perceptive, often witty columns on an array of political and moral issues, gracefully sharing the experiences and values that lead her to unpredictable conclusions."[12]
Pulitzer Prize for Criticism – Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post "for her refreshingly imaginative approach to dance criticism, illuminating a range of issues and topics with provocative comments and original insights."[13]
Hank Williams "for his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life."[25]
Controversy
Next to Normal, the winner of the Drama Prize, was not on the list of three candidates submitted to the twenty-member Pulitzer Prize board by the five-member Drama jury.[26] It was added to the candidate pool after several of the board members attended a performance of the musical the night before the voting deadline and was selected as the winner by at least three-quarters of the board members.[27] Jury chairman Charles McNulty publicly criticized the Board for its "geographic myopia" and "failure to appreciate new directions in playwriting" for overlooking the three plays that were not running on Broadway at the time of the Award in favor of one that was.[28]
