Hamilton Wins Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Each year, a panel of judges awards the Pulitzer Prize for Drama to “a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life.” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s historical hip-hop epic, Hamilton, has received this year’s prize. The committee recognized it as “a landmark American musical about the gifted and self-destructive founding father whose story becomes both contemporary and irresistible.” Hamilton is one of only nine musicals to receive the honor since its inception in 1917, as Playbill points out. Miranda, who was previously nominated for a Drama Pulitzer in 2009 for his musical In The Heights, will take home a $10,000 prize. Meanwhile, Henry Threadgill‘s In For a Penny, In For a Pound won the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

This isn’t Hamilton‘s first high-profile award: In February, its Original Broadway Cast Recording won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Last month, the Hamilton cast performed selections from the musical at the White House; the a visit also saw Miranda taking part in a freestyle assisted by President Obama. Meanwhile, the Roots’ ?uestlove is planning to release The Hamilton Mixtape–a collection of remixes and covers from Chance the Rapper, Busta Rhymes, Regina Spektor, Common, Ben Folds, Queen Latifah, and others–later this year. 

Read “How Hamilton Sets the Stage for the Future of History” on the Pitch.

Watch the Hamilton cast perform ”Alexander Hamilton” at the White House:

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