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. For the first time, an online source, ProPublica, won in what had previously been the sole province of print. A musical, Next to Normal, won the Drama award for the first time in 14 years. Country singer-songwriter Hank Williams, who died at age 29 in 1953, received a special citation. Below, the winner in each category are listed.
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."
Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting to Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman of the Philadelphia Daily News "for their resourceful reporting that exposed a rogue police narcotics squad, resulting in an FBI probe and the review of hundreds of criminal cases tainted by the scandal" and Sheri Fink of ProPublica, in collaboration with The New York Times Magazine for a story that chronicles the urgent life-and-death decisions made by one hospital's exhausted doctors when they were cut off by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina.
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."
Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting – Raquel Rutledge of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "for her penetrating reports on the fraud and abuse in a child-care program for low-wage working parents that fleeced taxpayers and imperiled children, resulting in a state and federal crackdown on providers."
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."
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting – Anthony Shadid of The Washington Post "for his rich, beautifully written series on Iraq as the United States departs and its people and leaders struggle to deal with the legacy of war and to shape the nation's future."
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."
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."
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."
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning – Mark Fiore, self syndicated, appearing on SFGate.com for "his biting wit, extensive research and ability to distill complex issues set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary."
Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography – Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post "for his intimate portrait of a teenager who joins the Army at the height of insurgent violence in Iraq, poignantly searching for meaning and manhood."
Pulitzer Prize for Drama – Next to Normal, music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey "a powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals."
Pulitzer Prize for Biography – ' by T.J. Stiles "a penetrating portrait of a complex, self-made titan who revolutionized transportation, amassed vast wealth and shaped the economic world in ways still felt today."
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry – Versed by Rae Armantrout "a book striking for its wit and linguistic inventiveness, offering poems that are often little thought-bombs detonating in the mind long after the first reading."
"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."
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. 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. 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.
