Pulitzer Prize for Music gets a face lift

The Pulitzer Prize for Music is about to get a new look-or better said-a new sound. The Pulitzer Prize has been honoring musicians since 1943, but only once in its six years, has the prize been awarded to a jazz composition, musical drama or film score.The Pulitzer Prize Board will announce today new guidelines that will redefine this prestigious award, and perhaps broaden the scope of what has been considered "serious" music. Along with a new set of rules for judging musical entries, the board has revised its selection criteria. The current definition of the prize reads: "For distinguished musical composition of significant dimension by an American that has had its first performance in the United States during the year."The revised definition drops the words significant dimension, and adds that a recording will be considered to be on par with a first performance.The change is meant to open the arms of the competition to embrace genres such as Jazz, Musical Theatre and improvisational recordings. "We just want to make sure our competition is broader," Pulitzer Prize Administrator Sig Gissler told NPR's Morning Edition, today. To read the Pulitzer Prize Board's statement in its entirety, go to www.pulitzer.org.