Pulitzer Prize for Criticism

The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by Columbia University. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.

Winners and citations

The Criticism Pulitzer has been awarded to one person annually except in 1992 when it was not awarded—43 prizes in 44 years 1970–2013. Wesley Morris is the only person to have won the prize more than once, winning in 2012 and 2021. In 2020, podcasts and audio reporting became eligible for the prize.

1970s

• 1970: Ada Louise Huxtable, The New York Times, "for distinguished criticism during 1969"
• 1971: Harold C. Schonberg, The New York Times, "for his music criticism during 1970"
• 1972: Frank Peters Jr., St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "for his music criticism during 1971"
• 1973: Ronald Powers, Chicago Sun-Times, "for his critical writing about television during 1972"
• 1974: Emily Genauer, Newsday, "for her critical writing about art and artists"
• 1975: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, "for his film criticism during 1974"
• 1976: Alan M. Kriegsman, The Washington Post, "for his critical writing about dance during 1975"
• 1977: William McPherson, The Washington Post, "for his contribution to 'Book World'"
• 1978: Walter Kerr, The New York Times, "for articles on the theater in 1977 and throughout his long career"
• 1979: Paul Gapp, Chicago Tribune, architecture

1980s

• 1980: William A. Henry III, The Boston Globe, "for critical writing about television"
  • William C. Glackin, The Sacramento Bee
  • William K. Robertson, Miami Herald
• 1981: Jonathan Yardley, Washington Star, "for his book reviews"
  • Allan Temko, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun Times
• 1982: Martin Bernheimer, Los Angeles Times, "for classical music criticism"
  • Donal Henahan, The New York Times, "for music criticism"
  • Marvin Kitman, Newsday, "for television criticism"
• 1983: Manuela Hoelterhoff, The Wall Street Journal, "for her wide-ranging criticism on the arts and other subjects."
  • Beth Dunlop, Miami Herald, "for architectural criticism"
  • Stephen Schiff, Boston Phoenix, "for film criticism"
• 1984: Paul Goldberger, The New York Times, "for architectural criticism"
  • Dan Cryer, Newsday, "for his book reviews."
  • Ken Tucker, The Philadelphia Inquirer, "for pop music criticism"
• 1985: Howard Rosenberg, Los Angeles Times, "for his television criticism"
  • James Chute, Milwaukee Journal, "for his classical music criticism"
  • Margaret Manning, The Boston Globe, "for her book reviews"
• 1986: Donal Henahan, The New York Times, "for his music criticism"
  • Richard D. Christiansen, Chicago Tribune, "for his theater criticism"
  • Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times, "for his book reviews."
• 1987: Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times, "for his book reviews."
  • Andrew Sarris, The Village Voice, "for his film criticism."
  • Frank Rich, The New York Times, "for his theater criticism."
• 1988: Tom Shales, The Washington Post, "for his television criticism"
  • Allan Temko, San Francisco Chronicle, "for his architecture criticism"
  • Michael Skube, The News & Observer, "for his book reviews"
• 1989: Michael Skube, The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), "for his writing about books and other literary topics"
  • David Richards, The Washington Post, "for his theater criticism"
  • Joyce Millman, San Francisco Examiner, "for her criticism of television and other subjects."

1990s

• 1990: Allan Temko, San Francisco Chronicle, "for his architecture criticism"
  • Jory Farr, The Press-Enterprise, "for his pop music criticism"
  • Wayne Lee Gay, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "for his critical coverage of the 1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition."
• 1991: David Shaw, Los Angeles Times, "for his critiques of the way in which the media, including his own paper, reported the McMartin preschool trial"
  • Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, "For his columns on art and artists."
  • Joyce Millman, San Francisco Examiner, "for her television criticism."
  • Leslie Savan, The Village Voice, "for perceptive articles critiquing various forms of advertising."
• 1992: no award given
  • Itabari Njeri, Los Angeles Times, "for her essay on race and the messages of black nationalism."
  • Leslie Savan, The Village Voice, "for her critical columns on advertising and the media."
  • Michael Feingold, The Village Voice, "for his theater reviews"
• 1993: Michael Dirda, The Washington Post, "for his book reviews"
  • Gail Caldwell, The Boston Globe, "for her literary and social criticism"
  • Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald, "for critical articles on popular music and culture"
• 1994: Lloyd Schwartz, Boston Phoenix, "for his skillful and resonant classical music criticism"
  • Henry Allen, The Washington Post, "for his imaginative and varied cultural criticism"
  • Matt Zoller Seitz, Dallas Observer, "for his lucid and insightful film criticism"
• 1995: Margo Jefferson, The New York Times, "for her book reviews and other cultural criticism"
  • Dorothy Rabinowitz, The Wall Street Journal, "for her writing about television"
  • Stephen Hunter, The Baltimore Sun, "for his film criticism"
• 1996: Robert Campbell, The Boston Globe, "for his knowledgeable writing on architecture"
  • Gail Caldwell, The Boston Globe, "for her insightful reviews and comments on books and the literary scene."
  • Stephen Hunter, The Baltimore Sun, "for his distinguished film criticism."
• 1997: Tim Page, The Washington Post, "for his lucid and illuminating music criticism"
  • Herbert Muschamp, The New York Times, "for his criticism of architecture in America, written with devotion to the art, penetrating analysis and literate style."
  • Leslie Savan, The Village Voice, "for her analytical columns about the forces at work behind advertising and consumerism, particularly on television."
• 1998: Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, "for her passionate, intelligent writing on books and contemporary literature"
  • Dorothy Rabinowitz, The Wall Street Journal, "for her tough-minded, critical columns on television and its place in politics and culture."
  • Peter Rainer, New Times Los Angeles, "for his versatile and perceptive writing about film."
• 1999: Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune, "for his lucid coverage of city architecture, including an influential series supporting the development of Chicago's lakefront area"
  • Gail Caldwell, The Boston Globe, "for her compelling observations on books and popular culture."
  • Henry Allen, The Washington Post, "for his illuminating criticism of photography and painting."
  • Justin Davidson, Newsday, "for his fresh and vivid writing on classical music and its makers."

2000s

• 2000: Henry Allen, The Washington Post, "for his fresh and authoritative writing on photography"
  • Andrew Sarris, The New York Observer, "for his informed and enlightening film criticism."
  • Michael Kimmelman, The New York Times, "for his gracefully-written observations on art and artists."
• 2001: Gail Caldwell, The Boston Globe, "for her insightful observations on contemporary life and literature"
  • Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, "for his passionate and publi'minded art criticism."
  • Jerry Saltz, The Village Voice, "for his fresh and engaging views on contemporary art."
• 2002: Justin Davidson, Newsday, "for his crisp coverage of classical music that captures its essence"
  • John King, San Francisco Chronicle, "for his forcefully-expressed and engaging essays illustrating the role that architecture and urban design plays in the life of his city."
  • Joseph Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal, "for his witty and commanding criticism of contemporary films."
• 2003: Stephen Hunter, The Washington Post, "for his authoritative film criticism that is both intellectually rewarding and a pleasure to read"
  • John King, San Francisco Chronicle, "for his perceptive, passionate criticism of architecture and urban design and their impact on life in his city."
  • Nicolai Ourousoff, Los Angeles Times, "for his commanding reviews and essays on architectural development and preservation in an ever-evolving city."
• 2004: Dan Neil, Los Angeles Times, "for his one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, blending technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural observations"
  • Inga Saffron, The Philadelphia Enquirer, "for her passionate and insightful architectural criticism that, through clear, elegant writing, was as accessible to the ordinary reader as it was to the expert."
  • Nicolai Ouroussoff, Los Angeles Times, "for his versatile architectural criticism that stretched from his hometown's new Disney Hall to the rubble in Baghdad, where he pondered the ancient city's resurrection."
• 2005: Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal, "for his reviews that elucidated the strengths and weaknesses of film with rare insight, authority and wit"
  • Carlin Romano, The Chronicle of Higher Education, "for bringing new vitality to the classic essay across a formidable array of topics."
  • Frank Rich, The New York Times, "for boldly exploring the influence of popular culture on American politics and society."
• 2006: Robin Givhan, The Washington Post, "for her witty, closely observed essays that transform fashion criticism into cultural criticism"
  • Jerry Saltz, The Village Voice, "for his fresh, down-to-earth pieces on the visual arts and other cultural topics."
  • Nicolai Ouroussoff, The New York Times, "for his graceful, contemplative and wide ranging critiques of architecture and urban design from New Orleans to Berlin."
• 2007: Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly, "for his zestful, wide ranging restaurant reviews, expressing the delight of an erudite eater"
  • Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, "for his pieces on art that reflect meticulous reporting, aesthetic judgment and authoritative voice"
  • Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, "for his passionate music criticism, marked by resonant writing and an ability to give life to the people behind a performance."
• 2008: Mark Feeney, The Boston Globe, "for his penetrating and versatile command of the visual arts, from film and photography to painting"
  • Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post, "for her perceptive movie reviews and essays, reflecting solid research and an easy, engaging style."
  • Inga Saffron, The Philadelphia Inquirer, "for her forceful critiques that illuminate the vital interplay between architecture and the life of her city."
• 2009: Holland Cotter, The New York Times, "for his wide ranging reviews of art, from Manhattan to China, marked by acute observation, luminous writing and dramatic storytelling"
  • Inga Saffron, The Philadelphia Inquirer, "for her fascinating and convincing architectural critiques that boldly confront important topics, from urban planning issues to the newest skyscraper."
  • Sebastian Smee, The Boston Globe, "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."

2010s

• 2010: Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post, "for her refreshingly imaginative approach to dance criticism, illuminating a range of issues and topics with provocative comments and original insights"
  • A.O. Scott, The New York Times, "for his incisive film reviews that, with aplomb, embrace a wide spectrum of movies and often explore their connection to larger issues in society or the arts."
  • Michael Feingold, Village Voice, "for his engaging, authoritative drama reviews that fuse passion and knowledge as he helps readers understand what makes a play or a performance successful."
• 2011: Sebastian Smee, The Boston Globe, "for his vivid and exuberant writing about art, often bringing great works to life with love and appreciation"
  • Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly, "for his delightful, authoritative restaurant reviews, escorting readers through a city's diverse food culture."
  • Nicolai Ouroussoff, The New York Times, "for his well honed architectural criticism, highlighted by ambitious essays on the burst of architectural projects in oil-rich Middle East countries."
• 2012: Wesley Morris, The Boston Globe, "for his smart, inventive film criticism, distinguished by pinpoint prose and an easy traverse between the art house and the big-screen box office"
  • Philip Kennicott of The Washington Post, "for his ambitious and insightful cultural criticism, taking on topical events from the uprisings in Egypt to the dedication of the Ground Zero memorial".
  • Tobi Tobias "for work appearing on ArtsJournal.com that reveals passion as well as deep historical knowledge of dance".
• 2013: Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post, "for his eloquent and passionate essays on art and the social forces that underlie it, a critic who always strives to make his topics and targets relevant to readers"
  • Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times, "for her searching television criticism that often becomes a springboard for provocative comments on the culture at large."
  • Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, "for her enlightening movie criticism, vividly written and showing deep understanding of the business and art of filmmaking."
• 2014: Inga Saffron, The Philadelphia Inquirer, "for her criticism of architecture that blends expertise, civic passion and sheer readability into arguments that consistently stimulate and surprise"
  • Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times, "for her trenchant and witty television criticism, engaging readers through essays and reviews that feature a conversational style and the force of fresh ideas."
  • Jen Graves of The Stranger, Seattle, "for her visual arts criticism that, with elegant and vivid description, informs readers about how to look at the complexities of contemporary art and the world in which it's made."
• 2015: Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times, "for savvy criticism that uses shrewdness, humor and an insider’s view to show how both subtle and seismic shifts in the cultural landscape affect television."
  • Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, "for film criticism that rises from a sweeping breadth of knowledge – social, cultural, cinematic – while always keeping the viewer front and center."
  • Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice, "for film criticism that combines the pleasure of intellectual exuberance, the perspective of experience and the transporting power of good writing."
• 2016: Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker, "for television reviews written with an affection that never blunts the shrewdness of her analysis or the easy authority of her writing."
  • Hilton Als of The New Yorker, "for theater reviews written with such erudition and linguistic sensitivity that they often become larger than their subjects."
  • Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, "for reviews and essays that take on the sacred cows of film culture with considerable style and admirable literary and historical reach."
• 2017: Hilton Als of The New Yorker, "for bold and original reviews that strove to put stage dramas within a real-world cultural context, particularly the shifting landscape of gender, sexuality and race."
  • Laura Reiley of Tampa Bay Times, "for lively restaurant reviews, including a series that took on the false claims of the farm-to-table movement and prompted statewide investigations."
  • Ty Burr of The Boston Globe, "for a wide range of finely cut reviews of films and other cultural topics written with wit, deep sensibility and a refreshing lack of pretension."
• 2018: Jerry Saltz of New York, "for a robust body of work that conveyed a canny and often daring perspective on visual art in America, encompassing the personal, the political, the pure and the profane."
  • Carlos Lozada of The Washington Post, "for criticism that dug deep into the books that have shaped political discourse — engaging seriously with scholarly works, partisan screeds and popular works of history and biography to produce columns and essays that plumbed the cultural and political genealogy of our current national divide.”
  • Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, "for writing, both downbeat and uplifting, that demonstrated the critic’s sustained dedication to exposing male dominance in Hollywood and decrying the exploitation of women in the film business."
• 2019: Carlos Lozada of The Washington Post, "for trenchant and searching reviews and essays that joined warm emotion and careful analysis in examining a broad range of books addressing government and the American experience."
  • Jill Lepore of The New Yorker, for "critical, yet restrained, explorations of incredibly varied subjects, from Frankenstein to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that combined literary nuance with intellectual rigor."
  • Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, for "authoritative film criticism that considered the impact of movies both inside the theater and in the wider world with rare passion, craftsmanship and insight."

2020s

• 2020: Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times, for "work demonstrating extraordinary community service by a critic, applying his expertise and enterprise to critique a proposed overhaul of the L.A. County Museum of Art and its effect on the institution's mission."
  • Justin Davidson of New York, for "architecture reviews marked by a keen eye, deep knowledge and exquisite writing, as exemplified by his essay on Manhattan’s Hudson Yards development."
  • Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Undefeated, for "essays on theater and film that bring a fresh, delightful intelligence to the intersections of race and art."
• 2021: Wesley Morris of the New York Times, for "unrelentingly relevant and deeply engaged criticism on the intersection of race and culture in America, written in a singular style, alternately playful and profound." Morris also won the award in 2012 and is now the first person to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism more than once.
  • Craig Jenkins of New York, for "writing on a range of popular topics, including social media, music and comedy, contending with the year’s disarray and exploring how culture and conversation can both flourish and break down online."
  • Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times, for "a series of critical essays that broke through the silence of the pandemic to recommend an eclectic array of recordings as entertainment and solace essential to the moment, drawing deep connections to seven centuries of classical music."
• 2022: Salamishah Tillet of The New York Times, "For learned and stylish writing about Black stories in art and popular culture–work that successfully bridges academic and nonacademic critical discourse."
  • Peter Schjeldahl of The New Yorker, "For accessible and dedicated art criticism that introduces or revisits painters, institutions and movements, offering tender appreciations and unflinching dissents."
  • Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic, "For articles that bring clarity and insight to questions concerning gender norms, feminism, and popular culture."
• 2023: Andrea Long Chu of New York, "For book reviews that scrutinize authors as well as their works, using multiple cultural lenses to explore some of society’s most fraught topics."
  • Jason Farago of The New York Times, "For art criticism, especially for taking a critical eye to the frontlines of Ukraine to explore the cultural dimensions of the war, including verifying damages to architecture and other sites and explaining Russia’s efforts to erase the Ukrainian identity."
  • Lyndsay C. Green of the Detroit Free Press, "For rigorously reported coverage of restaurant openings and recommended dishes that also serve as an immersive cultural portrait of a vital American city."
• 2024: Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times, "For richly evocative and genre-spanning film criticism that reflects on the contemporary moviegoing experience."
  • Vinson Cunningham of The New Yorker, "For theater reviews that reflect a formidable knowledge of the stage and the mechanics of performance along with canny observations on the human condition."
  • Zadie Smith of The New York Review of Books, "For a review of the film Tár that addressed with wit and ease such consequential themes as mortality and the clash of generations."