The Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary is one of the fourteen Pulitzer Prizes that is annually awarded for journalism in the United States. It is the successor to the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning awarded from 1922 to 2021.
History
Since 1922 the prize had been awarded for a distinguished editorial cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect.
Since 1980, finalists (usually two) have been announced in addition to the winner.
In 2021, with Ruben Bolling, Marty Two Bulls Sr, and Lalo Alcaraz the finalists, no winner was selected, which drew controversy. (The same thing happened in the category in 1923, 1936, 1960, 1965, and 1973, but it had not happened in 48 years, and it was the first time no winner was selected when the finalists' names had been made public.) In response, the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists "issued a statement calling for the Pulitzer board to reinstate Editorial Cartooning as its own category while also recognizing Illustrated Reporting as a separate form." They wrote: