Since 1917, the Pulitzer Prize has been awarded in the United States , which was originally intended for an American novel published within a year and most fully reflecting the atmosphere of American life, a high level of manners and masculinity. Only residents of the United States who have shown success in journalism, literature, history and theatrical art can become laureates of this award.
Joseph Pulitzer, an eminent journalist, was the first to offer journalism training in higher education and in his will specified flexible criteria for awarding the prize. There is a council that can change the reward system and expand its scope.
Now the Pulitzer Prize is one of the most prestigious American awards. Starting in 2017, the amount that is paid along with the receipt of the Pulitzer Prize is $ 15,000 .
The founder of the award and his achievements
Joseph Pulitzer was an outstanding American journalist who defined the direction of newspapers of the past. Born in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, he initially arrived in the U.S. as a U.S. military recruit and worked his way up the hierarchy of his military career. Later he became a correspondent and participated in active political life. He eventually became the owner and seller of newspaper publishers, merging them into the provocative Post-Dispatch newspaper. This publication took a leading position in the city, and on October 5, 1882, the editor-in-chief of the Pulitzer department killed (!) the political rival Post-Dispatch.
Pulitzer founded a number of other newspaper publishers, in which he successfully managed to combine political revelations, sharp journalistic investigations with advertising and sensational materials, attracting a wide readership. It was he who introduced a number of innovative elements into newspapers, such as comics, sports coverage, fashions and illustrations, bringing the newspapers of that era closer to their modern look.
Due to the intense competition with the New York Morning Journal, owned by William Randolph Hearst, and the constant race for sensational news, the term "yellow press" arose. Until now, it refers to newspapers containing rumors, sensational information, gossip about the lives of celebrities and scandalous stories.
Due to an eye disease, Pulitzer stopped managing newspaper publications and refused to edit articles, but continued to control the editorial line of local newspapers.
The first laureates
In 1917, the Pulitzer Prize was awarded for the first time. In the nomination "Biography and Autobiography" laureates were Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards and Maud Howe Elliott together with Florence Howe Hall for their work "Julia Ward Howe". In the "History" category, the award was taken by JJ Jusserand for the book "With Americans of the Past and Present." Subsequently, the Pulitzer Prize began to be awarded in the categories of non-fiction and musical art. Initially, the Pulitzer Prize did not cover the areas of music and non-fiction, but over time, the board that manages the award made adjustments, adding the missing nominations. This was done with the aim of adapting the Pulitzer Prize to modern standards and maintaining its relevance over the years.
Winners of the competition for 2021-2022
Below are the 2021 and 2022 Pulitzer Prize winners in various categories.
Biography, autobiography:
- 2021: "The Dead Rise: The Life of Malcolm X" by Les Payne and Tamara Payne;
- 2022: "Chasing Me to the Grave: A Memoir of an Artist of the South Jim Crow" by Winfred Rembert and Erin E. Kelly.
Drama:
- 2021: "The King of Hot Wings" by Katori Hall;
- 2022: "Fat Ham" by James Ijames.
Fiction:
- 2021: "The Night Watchman" by Louise Erdrich;
- 2022: "Netanyahu: A Tale of a Minor and Ultimately Insignificant Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family" by Joshua Cohen.
Non-fiction:
- 2021: "The Wilmington Lie: The Bloody Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy" by David Zucchino;
- 2022: "The Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City" by Andrea Elliott.
History:
- "Franchise: Golden Arches in Black America" by Marcia Chatelain;
- "Covered in the Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America" by Nicole Eustace;
- "Cuba: An American Story" by Ada Ferrer.
Music:
- "Stride" by Tanya Leon;
- "The Silent Mass" by Raven Chacon.
Poetry:
- "Postcolonial Love Poem" by Nathalie Diaz;
- "Frank: Sonnets" by Diane Seuss.
