2007 Music winner Ornette Coleman (left) attends a Smithsonian Institution exhibition by painter Beauford Delaney (center-left) in 1973. (Unidentified photographer. Galerie Darthea Speyer records, 1953-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.)
The eligibility deadline for the 2025 Pulitzer Prizes in Drama and Music is December 31, 2024. Due to the holiday break, we will accept submissions in both categories until January 3, 2025. All entry materials must be uploaded to the Books, Drama and Music entry site, where the required entry form and $75 handling fee must be remitted.
As a reminder, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners and nominated finalists in the Journalism, Books, Drama & Music categories will be announced on Monday, May 5, 2025.
Drama Guidance
Eligibility in Drama is restricted to full-length works by American authors whose productions opened in the United States between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Please note that COVID-related expanded eligibility criteria (encompassing plays that were scheduled to be produced in theaters but postponed or canceled due to the pandemic) are no longer in place.
Music Guidance
Works by American composers that received their U.S. premiere between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 are eligible. Although a public performance or the public release of a recording can constitute a premiere, as in Drama, it may be submitted only once.
Alongside contemporary composition and jazz, the Pulitzer Board continues to welcome submissions from the full spectrum of American music, including hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, blues, folk, country, Latin and electronic forms.
Digital Upload Requirements
Required playscripts for Drama and scores for Music (if available) must be uploaded in PDF form. Streaming links (i.e. Vimeo or YouTube) are preferred for the recommended Drama performance video, while direct mp3/wav/flac uploads or externally hosted zip/rar directories are preferred for Music recordings.
Although links to YouTube and other streaming platforms are permitted in the Music category, please note that downloadable files may be requested at our discretion during the judging process.
Streaming videos and recordings must remain active and accessible through the Prize announcement in May 2025. Please include any login credentials in the description field of the uploader. Any updates may be sent to [email protected].
Questionnaire
The entry form also contains a questionnaire modeled after the Journalism contest. The prompts are:
Please provide a brief summary of this work (2,000 character limit);
Please briefly describe the origins of and inspiration for this work (2,000 character limit);
Please note any challenges to the originality (or accuracy, if applicable) of this work (2,000 character limit).
These prompts are intended to provide a contextual framework for submissions to the judges. The third prompt applies strictly to formal and/or legal challenges to the work, such as allegations of fabrication or plagiarism.
Additional Information
General submission guidelines for the Drama Prize may be read here.
Guidelines for the Music Prize are here.
Eligibility inquiries may be directed to [email protected].