Who are the Pulitzer Prize winners for Commentary?

Answer 1

The Pulitzer Prize winners for Commentary change each year, so the current winners can be found on the official Pulitzer Prize website. Some past winners include Thomas Friedman, Anna Quindlen, and George Will.

Answer 2

The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary (typically columns) only dates back to 1970.

Pulitzer Prize for Commentary

(retrieved from the Pulitzer database)

• 2011 David Leonhardt of The New York Times: For his graceful penetration of America's complicated economic questions, from the federal budget deficit to health care reform.
• 2010 Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post: For her perceptive, often witty columns on an array of political and moral issues, gracefully sharing the experiences and values that lead her to unpredictable conclusions.
• 2009 Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post: For his eloquent columns on the 2008 presidential campaign that focus on the election of the first African-American president, showcasing graceful writing and grasp of the larger historic picture.
• 2008 Steven Pearlstein of The Washington Post: For his insightful columns that explore the nation's complex economic ills with masterful clarity.
• 2007 Cynthia Tucker of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: For her courageous, clear-headed columns that evince a strong sense of morality and persuasive knowledge of the community.
• 2006 Nicholas D. Kristof of The New York Times: For his graphic, deeply reported columns that, at personal risk, focused attention on genocide in Darfur and that gave voice to the voiceless in other parts of the world.
• 2005 Connie Schultz of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland: For her pungent columns that provided a voice for the underdog and underprivileged.
• 2004 Leonard Pitts Jr. of The Miami Herald: For his fresh, vibrant columns that spoke, with both passion and compassion, to ordinary people on often divisive issues.
• 2003 Colbert I. King of The Washington Post: For his against-the-grain columns that speak to people in power with ferocity and wisdom.
• 2002 Thomas Friedman of The New York Times: For his clarity of vision, based on extensive reporting, in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat.
• 2001 Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal: For her articles on American society and culture.
• 2000 Paul A. Gigot of The Wall Street Journal: For his informative and insightful columns on Politics and Government.
• 1999 Maureen Dowd of The New York Times: For her fresh and insightful columns on the impact of President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky.
• 1998 Mike McAlary of New York Daily News, New York, NY: For his coverage of the brutalization of a Haitian immigrant by police officers at a Brooklyn stationhouse.
• 1997 Eileen McNamara of The Boston Globe: For her many-sided columns on Massachusetts people and issues.
• 1996 E.R. Shipp of New York Daily News: For her penetrating columns on race, welfare and other social issues.
• 1995 Jim Dwyer of Newsday, Long Island, NY: For his compelling and compassionate columns about New York City.
• 1994 William Raspberry of The Washington Post: For his compelling commentaries on a variety of social and political topics.
• 1993 Liz Balmaseda of The Miami Herald: For her commentary from Haiti about deteriorating political and social conditions and her columns about Cuban-Americans in Miami.
• 1992 Anna Quindlen of The New York Times: For her compelling columns on a wide range of personal and political topics.
• 1991 Jim Hoagland of The Washington Post: For searching and prescient columns on events leading up to the Gulf War and on the political problems of Mikhail Gorbachev.
• 1990 Jim Murray of Los Angeles Times: For his sports columns.
• 1989 Clarence Page of Chicago Tribune: For his provocative columns on local and national affairs.
• 1988 Dave Barry of The Miami Herald: For his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns.
• 1987 Charles Krauthammer of The Washington Post Writers Group: For his witty and insightful columns on national issues.
• 1986 Jimmy Breslin of New York Daily News: For columns which consistently champion ordinary citizens.
• 1985 Murray Kempton of Newsday, Long Island, NY: For witty and insightful reflection on public issues in 1984 and throughout a distinguished career.
• 1984 Vermont Royster of The Wall Street Journal
• 1983 Claude Sitton of Raleigh (NC) News & Observer
• 1982 Art Buchwald of Los Angeles Times Syndicate
• 1981 Dave Anderson of The New York Times: For his commentary on sports.
• 1980 Ellen H. Goodman of The Boston Globe
• 1979 Russell Baker of The New York Times
• 1978 William Safire of The New York Times: For commentary on the Bert Lance affair.
• 1977 George F. Will of The Washington Post Writers Group: For distinguished commentary on a variety of topics.
• 1976 Walter Wellesley (Red) Smith of The New York Times: For his commentary on sports in 1975 and for many other years.
• 1975 Mary McGrory of The Washington Star: For her commentary on public affairs during 1974.
• 1974 Edwin A. Roberts Jr. of National Observer: For his commentary on public affairs during 1973.
• 1973 David S. Broder of The Washington Post: For his columns during 1972.
• 1972 Mike Royko of Chicago Daily News: For his columns during 1971.
• 1971 William A. Caldwell of The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey: For his commentary in his daily column.
• 1970 Marquis W. Childs of St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For distinguished commentary during 1969.