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Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards facts for kids

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The Pulitzer Prize is a very important award in the United States. It celebrates great work in journalism, books, and music. Sometimes, the people who decide on the Pulitzer Prizes give out special citations and awards. These are given when they feel someone's work is extra special and deserves to be recognized, even if it doesn't fit into a regular award category.

For example, famous musicians like George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington all received special awards. These were given because many people felt their amazing contributions to music had been overlooked before.

More recently, on May 4, 2020, Ida B. Wells received a special award. She was honored for her brave reporting on the terrible violence against African Americans during a difficult time in history. The Pulitzer Prize board even donated money to support her important work.

Then, on June 11, 2021, Darnella Frazier also received a special citation. She was recognized for her courage.

Special Awards in Journalism

The Pulitzer Prize board has given special awards to many journalists and news organizations over the years. These awards highlight important moments in reporting and defending the freedom of the press.

Early Journalism Honors

  • 1924: A special prize of $1000 was given to the family of Frank I. Cobb. He was honored for his excellent writing and service at New York World.
  • 1930: William O. Dapping from the Auburn Citizen received an award. He was recognized for his reporting on an outbreak at Auburn prison.
  • 1938: The Edmonton Journal newspaper received a special bronze plaque. This was for their brave leadership against a law that threatened press freedom in Alberta, Canada.
  • 1941: The New York Times was honored for its foreign news reports. The award recognized how well they explained world events to the public.
  • 1944: Byron Price, who directed the Office of Censorship, received an award. He was honored for creating and managing rules for newspapers and radio during wartime.
  • 1945: Mapmakers for American newspapers received a special award. Their maps helped people understand the progress of armies and navies during the war.
  • 1947: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was recognized for always sticking to high ideals in journalism. They showed strong leadership in American reporting.

Notable Reporting and Commentary

  • 1951: Cyrus L. Sulzberger from The New York Times got an award. This was for his special interview with Archbishop Stepinac.
  • 1952: Max Kase from the New York Journal-American was honored. He exposed corruption in basketball, which helped people trust the sport again.
  • 1952: The Kansas City Star received an award for its news coverage. They reported on a huge flood in 1951, helping to protect the public.
  • 1953: The New York Times was recognized for its "Review of the Week" section. This part of their Sunday newspaper helped readers understand important topics for many years.
  • 1958: Walter Lippmann from the New York Herald Tribune received an award. He was honored for his wise and responsible comments on national and international issues.
  • 1964: Gannett Newspapers received a special award for their program "The Road to Integration." This program showed how a group of newspapers could work together to support civil rights.
  • 1978: Richard Lee Strout was honored for his excellent commentary from Washington. He wrote for The Christian Science Monitor for many years.
  • 1996: Herb Caen from the San Francisco Chronicle received an award. He was recognized for being a special voice for his city for a very long time.

Courage and Community Service

  • 2019: The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, received a special citation. This was to honor their brave response after a terrible shooting in their newsroom in 2018. They showed amazing commitment to reporting the news even during great sadness. The Pulitzer Board also gave them $100,000 to help their newspaper continue its important work.
  • 2021: Darnella Frazier was honored for her courage. She recorded the murder of George Floyd, and her video helped start protests around the world. This showed how important everyday people can be in helping journalists find truth and justice.

Special Awards in Books and Literature

Many writers have received special Pulitzer Prizes for their important contributions to literature.

Honoring Poets and Storytellers

  • 1918: Sara Teasdale received an award for her book Love Songs. This was made possible by a special grant from The Poetry Society.
  • 1919: Carl Sandburg for Corn Huskers and Margaret Widdemer for Old Road to Paradise also received awards. These were also supported by The Poetry Society.
  • 1957: Kenneth Roberts was honored for his historical novels. His books helped people become more interested in early American history.
  • 1960: The Defeat of the Spanish Armada by Garrett Mattingly received a special citation. It was called a "first-class history and a literary work of high order."
  • 1961: American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War was recognized. It was seen as a great example of American book publishing.
  • 1973: George Washington, Vols. I-IV by James Thomas Flexner received a special award.
  • 1977: Alex Haley received a special award for his book Roots. This book told the story of a Black family from Africa to America.
  • 1978: E.B. White was honored for all his writings, including his letters and essays.
  • 1984: Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, received a special award. This was for his amazing contribution to entertaining and educating children and their parents for almost 50 years.
  • 1992: Art Spiegelman received an award for his powerful graphic novel Maus.
  • 2006: Edmund S. Morgan was honored for his creative and important work as an American historian over 50 years.
  • 2007: Ray Bradbury received an award for his long and influential career. He was recognized as an amazing author of science fiction and fantasy.

Special Awards in Music

The Pulitzer Prizes also celebrate special achievements in music, recognizing composers and performers who have shaped American culture.

Celebrating Musical Geniuses

  • 1944: The musical Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II received a special award.
  • 1974: Roger Sessions was honored for his entire life's work as a great American composer.
  • 1976: Scott Joplin received a special award after his death. This was to recognize his important contributions to American music.
  • 1982: Milton Babbitt was honored for his life's work as an important and groundbreaking American composer.
  • 1985: William Schuman received a special award for over 50 years of contributing to American music as a composer and leader in education.
  • 1998: George Gershwin received an award after his death, celebrating 100 years since his birth. He was honored for his lasting contributions to American music.
  • 1999: Duke Ellington also received an award after his death, celebrating 100 years since his birth. He was recognized for his musical genius, especially in jazz, which showed the spirit of democracy.
  • 2006: Thelonious Monk received an award after his death. He was honored for his amazing and new musical compositions that greatly influenced the development of jazz.
  • 2007: John Coltrane received an award after his death. He was recognized for his incredible improvisation, amazing musical skill, and central role in the history of jazz.
  • 2008: Bob Dylan was honored for his huge impact on popular music and American culture. His songs were praised for their powerful and poetic words.
  • 2010: Hank Williams received an award after his death. He was recognized for his skill as a songwriter who expressed common feelings simply. He also played a key role in making country music a major part of American life.
  • 2019: Aretha Franklin received an award after her death. She was honored for her unforgettable contributions to American music and culture for over five decades.

Images for kids

  • Edmonton Journal Logo

    Edmonton Journal logo

  • The New York Times newsroom 1942

    The New York Times newsroom in 1942

  • PRICE, BYRON

    Byron Price

  • St. Louis Post Dispatch logo

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch logo

  • C. L. Sulzberger Romania, 1968

    Cyrus L. Sulzberger

  • Old NY Times Building 01

    Old New York Times Building

  • Walter Lippmann 1914

    Walter Lippmann

  • USA Today building

    Gannett Newspapers building

  • Herb Caen, SF

    Herb Caen

  • Sara Teasdale. Photograph by Gerhard Sisters, ca. 1910 Missouri History Museum Photograph and Print Collection. Portraits n21492

    Sara Teasdale

  • Carl Sandburg NYWTS

    Carl Sandburg

  • Kenneth Roberts author

    Kenneth Roberts

  • Alex haley US coast guard

    Alex Haley

  • EB White and his dog Minnie

    E.B. White

  • Ted Geisel NYWTS 2 sepia

    Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

  • Art Spiegelman (2007)

    Art Spiegelman

  • Ray Bradbury (1975) -cropped-

    Ray Bradbury

  • Rodgers and Hammerstein and Berlin and Tamiris NYWTS

    Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

  • Scott Joplin 19072

    Scott Joplin

  • George Gershwin 1937

    George Gershwin

  • Duke Ellington - publicity

    Duke Ellington

  • Thelonious Monk, Minton's Playhouse, New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947 (William P. Gottlieb 06191)

    Thelonious Monk

  • John Coltrane 1963

    John Coltrane

  • Bob Dylan - Azkena Rock Festival 2010 2

    Bob Dylan

  • Hank Williams Promotional Photo

    Hank Williams

  • Aretha Franklin 1968

    Aretha Franklin

  • WP William Allen White

    William Allen White

  • Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 1961 (KN-C19647, cropped)

    Joseph Pulitzer, Jr.

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