A publicity still from the Broadway run of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's “Purpose,” which received the 2025 Drama Prize. (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)
The 2026 Drama competition is now accepting submissions. All entry materials must be uploaded to the Books, Drama and Music entry site, where the required entry form and $75 handling fee must also be remitted.
Eligible works include full-length dramas—by U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the United States and those who have made the United States their longtime primary home—that opened in the United States between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
Please note that a new questionnaire prompt enjoins the entry sponsor to confirm that the playwright knows about and consents to the submission, although the form is otherwise unchanged. Full details on the eligibility rules for the 2026 Prize cycle are available on the Drama guidelines page. A $15,000 cash award accompanies the Prize.
The eligibility deadline for entries is December 31, 2025. Eligible work may continue to be submitted until January 5, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, when the portal will close.
All entrant accounts must now be manually approved for security compliance by our office. Please allow up to 24 hours for approval during business hours, while accounts registered after 5:30 p.m. Friday will be approved beginning Monday morning for the duration of the cycle. After creating a new account or accessing a preexisting account, the entry form for Books is available at bdmentrysite.pulitzer.org via the “Submit an Entry” button on the top bar. As the bar is not optimized for Android, we recommend completing the entry form on a desktop or laptop if at all feasible.
A list of all past Pulitzer Prize winners in Drama is available here.