The 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner's announcement and ceremony have been postponed in an effort to allow for in-person meetings while maintaining safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prizes in drama, music, books, and journalism will now be announced on June 11 at 1 PM ET instead of April 19.
“Like nearly everyone in America, we at the Pulitzer Board are eager to get off our screens and gather again in person,” said board co-chairs Stephen Engelberg and Aminda Marqués González. “We are looking forward to the chance this year for the 18 members of the board to meet safely and give each entry the intense consideration and spirited debate it deserves.”
The annual awards luncheon, traditionally held at Columbia University in May, also will be postponed with details of a fall celebration to come.
As previously announced, the board expanded eligibility for this year’s prize to any full-length dramatic works that had scheduled productions postponed or canceled due to the pandemic, as well as shows that premiered virtually or outside. Works that were able to open before theatres shuttered across the country in March 2020 also remain eligible.
Last year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama went to Michael R. Jackson for his musical A Strange Loop. That announcement too was delayed in the wake of the pandemic, from April 2020 to June. Winners and finalists were determined via virtual deliberations on Zoom.
