The Pulitzer Jury recommended Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington for a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1965, but the Board rejected their suggestion. Ellington won a posthumous Special Citation (not a Pulitzer Prize) in 1999 "in recognition of his musical genius, which evoked aesthetically the principles of democracy through the medium of jazz and thus made an indelible contribution to art and culture."
The Pulitzer Prize Advisory Board rejected the recommendation of their jury to award the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Music to Duke Ellington. They chose, instead, to withhold the prize that year. On hearing about the Board's decision, the 66-year-old Ellington allegedly commented, "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young."Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington received a posthumous Special Citation from the Pulitzer Prize Advisory Board in 1999. The citation read: "Bestowed posthumously, commemorating the centennial year of his birth, in recognition of his musical genius, which evoked aesthetically the principles of democracy through the medium of jazz and thus made an indelible contribution to art and culture."
The first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize was Of Thee I Sing, a political satire based on a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The play debuted in 1931 and won the Pulitzer in 1932. Although George Gershwin wrote the musical score, his name is not listed as one of the winners.
The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American newspaper publisher.
Duke Ellington did not get a Nobel Peace Prize,even though he was nominated.
Gwendolyn Brooks won a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her collection, Annie Allen, in 1950.
John Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for Novels for his book The Grapes of Wrath in 1940.
Carl Sagan won a Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for his book The Dragons of Eden in 1978.
Alice Coachman never won a Pulitzer Prize; she was an Olympic gold medalist in track in 1948.
2011
Education: Left high school in his senior year; later received honorary diploma.
There are a number of award subcategories in the Pulitzer Prize Journalism category each year; ethnicity varies and is not a consideration for winning.
He became famous in 1926.