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The Pulitzer Prizes
The Pulitzer Prizes were established in 1917 as a result of a provision made in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, newspaper publisher of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The bulk of the prizes awarded were in journalism, no surprise considering Putlizer's life work. However, he also made provisions for arts and letters with the establishment of prizes to be awarded to an American novel, an original American play (performed in New York of course), a history of the United States, and an American biography. A Board was also established and charged with selection - as well as rejection any year they felt that standards weren't met.
The American novel award name was changed to fiction, and later awards introduced poetry, music, and photography. In 1980 finalists were also named and range each year from 1-3 titles, even in years when no award was given.
To read more about the Pulitzer Prizes, including lists of past winners in all categories, visit their official web site at www.pulitzer.org/.