Lin-Manuel Miranda Wins Pulitzer Prize: 'Hamilton' Creator Awarded For Popular Broadway Show

This year’s Pulitzer Price honors were presented the morning of April 18, at Colombia University (Alexander Hamilton’s Alma Matter), and Lin-Manuel Miranda was awarded the prestigious recognition for Drama for his musical “Hamilton.” Although all signs pointed at Miranda to be the winner, the talented writer was competing against fellow category finalists were “Gloria,” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and “The Humans,” by Stephen Karam.

Miranda’s musical has been a smash hit on Broadway. Ticket sales have been through the roof, and everyone seems to want a piece of his genius. The Columbia University's prize board on Monday cited "Hamilton" as a landmark American musical about the gifted and self-destructive founding father whose story becomes both contemporary and irresistible.”

The story, of course, follows the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s; an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean rose to the highest ranks of American society. As told by a young African-American and Latino cast, Miranda based his play on Ron Chernow's Hamilton biography but told the tale in common language and verse.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Miranda said he feels “really humbled and really overwhelmed.” “Columbia is Hamilton's alma mater so I think that gave me a home-court advantage. But it's extraordinary to be recognized in this way,” he added.

This is not the first time Miranda has something to do with honors, his previous masterpiece “In The Heights” was also nominated for a Pulitzer in 2009, and won three Olivier Awards in London.

The Broadway show has been so successful, Miranda’s cast and producers just made Broadway history by striking a deal on profit sharing.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the play’s former cast will now earn royalties for the characters they originated in the historical bio-musical, which is something never seen before in the theatre industry. “This should be a real moment of celebration for any actor who feels powerless,” the president of Actor’s Equity Kate Shindle told The New York Times.