Who won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for jazz?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his work Blood on the Fields, in 1997.

Duke Ellington was almost the first jazz musician to receive a Pulitizer for Music in 1965, but the Pulitzer Prize Board rejected the jury's selection, so no award was given that year. Ellington believed the Board had little respect for the jazz genre, and was only interested in "European" Classical Music.

Answer 3

No one. The 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Music was awarded to Melinda Wagner for her Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion.

Duke Ellington received a posthumous Special Citation for his contribution to music in 1999, but not a Pulitzer Prize. The Pulitzer jury had voted to give Duke Ellington a Pulitzer Prize for jazz in 1965, but the Board rejected their suggestion and refused to issue any award for music that year.

As of 2011, the Pulitzer has only been presented to two jazz musicians (not including Special Citations):

1997 Wynton Marsalis, Blood on the Fields

2007 Ornette Coleman, Sound Grammar