Miranda ’02 Wins Pulitzer Prize for Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 has won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for his hit musical, Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail ’99. According to Playbill, Hamilton “joins an exclusive club of just eight other musicals that have won the prestigious award since it was founded nearly a century ago.” The awards were announced April 18.

The Pulitzer is awarded to “a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life.” It includes a $10,000 cash prize.

In a statement Miranda said, “It is a tremendous honor to even be considered for this very prestigious award. Quiara [Alegría Hudes, Wesleyan’s Shapiro Distinguished Professor of Writing and Theater] and I were elated to have been recognized as finalists for In The Heights, so to win today for Hamilton is beyond my wildest dreams. This award is for everyone who has been a part of Hamilton’s six-plus year journey. To be the 9th musical to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in its 100 year history is truly humbling for all of us. For Hamilton to now be in the same company as Of Thee I Sing, South Pacific, Fiorello!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Chorus Line, Sunday in the Park with George, Rent, and most recently Next to Normal is outside of our own comprehension. Look at where we are. Look at where we started.”

This year marks the Pulitzer Centennial in several categories, though the prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.

Read more about Hamilton winning the Pulitzer in The Washington Post, Broadway.com, Vanity Fair, and The Wall Street Journal.

In February, Hamilton also won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

Read a Wesleyan magazine interview with Miranda and Kail on Hamilton.

Read a News @ Wesleyan story about Miranda being named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.

Watch Miranda’s 2015 Wesleyan Commencement address.

See coverage of Wesleyan’s Hamilton benefit, which raised $1.5 million for financial aid, in October 2015.