Writers Percival Everett and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins have been awarded Pulitzer Prizes in the Arts categories.
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Holy smokes, Percival Everett's gritty reboot of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" titled "James" has won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for fiction! Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' thought-provoking, drawing-room drama, "Purpose," about a successful Black family disintegrating from the inside, scored a Pulitzer for drama and bagged six Tony Award nominations last week.
Everett's triumph at the Pulitzers solidified "James" as the hottest literary novel of 2024, catapulting the 68-year-old author into the limelight after years of flying under the radar. Since 2021, Everett has gained substantial recognition, snagging the PEN/Jean Stein Award for "Dr. No," being a finalist for the Pulitzer with "Telephone," and making the Booker shortlist for "The Trees." Before Monday, "James" had already snagged the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the Carnegie Medal for fiction. To top it off, his racially charged satire "Erasure," released in 2001, was adapted into the Oscar-nominated 2023 film "American Fiction."
The Pulitzer commendation praised "James" as an "incisive reevaluation" that showcases "the lunacy of racial superiority and offers a refreshing take on the pursuit of family and freedom."
"Purpose" was applauded in its citation as a "clever fusion of drama and humor" that delves into how different generations define heritage. Jacobs-Jenkins had been nominated for a drama Pulitzer twice before, for "Everybody" in 2018 and "Gloria" in 2016. He won the Tony Award for the best play revival last year for "Appropriate," a play centered on a polarized family reunion in Arkansas with competing motivations and grievances. He's also a part of this year's Met Gala host committee.
On Monday, Pulitzer officials announced that Jason Roberts bagged the biography award for "Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life," and Benjamin Nathans' "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" received recognition in the general nonfiction category. Two books were declared joint winners in the history category: Edda L. Fields-Black's "Combee: Harriet Tubman, The Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War" and Kathleen DuVal's "Native Nations: A Millennium in North America."
Marie Howe's "New and Selected Poems" took home the poetry prize, while composer-percussionist Susie Ibarra's "Sky Islands," inspired by the rainforest habitats of Luzon, Philippines, was awarded the Pulitzer for music.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Enrichment Data:
In the 2025 Pulitzer Prize announcements, notable winners across different categories included:
Fiction
- Winner: Percival Everett for "James". This reimagining of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of the enslaved Jim has also won the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the Carnegie Medal for fiction.
- Finalists: Multiple titles received recognition, including "Headshot" by Rita Bullwinkel, "Mice 1961" by Stacey Levine, and "The Unicorn Woman" by Gayl Jones.
Drama
- Winner: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for "Purpose."
- Finalists: "Oh, Mary!" by Cole Escola and "The Ally" by Itamar Moses were also nominated.
Poetry
- Winner: Marie Howe for "New and Selected Poems."
Biography
- Winner: Jason Roberts for "Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life."
General Nonfiction
- Winner: Benjamin Nathans for "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement."
Music
- No specific winner mentioned in the search results. However, the Pulitzer Prizes do include a category for music, which recognizes exceptional compositions and musical works, with winners typically announced alongside the other prizes.
- Percival Everett's "James", a reinterpretation of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" that also won the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the Carnegie Medal for fiction, showcases the importance of culture in the literature category.
- Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' "Purpose", a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a successful Black family, utilizes entertainment to delve into the complexities of heritage.
