• Fiction: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Random House)
• Drama: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
• History: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed (W.W. Norton & Company)
• Biography or Autobiography: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham (Random House)
• Poetry: The Shadow of Sirius by W.S. Merwin (Copper Canyon Press)
• General Nonfiction: Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon (Doubleday)
• Music: Double Sextet by Steve Reich (Boosey & Hawkes)

While broadening the competition, the Board stressed that all entered material -- whether online or in print -- should come from United States newspapers or news organizations that publish at least weekly, that are "primarily dedicated to original news reporting and coverage of ongoing stories," and that "adhere to the highest journalistic principles.”

Consistent with its historic focus on daily and weekly newspapers, the Board will continue to exclude entries from printed magazines and broadcast media and their respective Web sites.

"This is an important step forward, reflecting our continued commitment to American newspapers as well as our willingness to adapt to the remarkable growth of online journalism," said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Prizes. "The new rules enlarge the Pulitzer tent and recognize more fully the role of the Web, while underscoring the enduring value of words and of serious reporting.”