NEW YORK, NY.- The 86th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the reccomendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced by President George Rupp of Columbia University. A record of seven Pulitzer Prizes went to The New York Times. For the category of Breaking News Photography, the prize was awarded to The New York Times for its consistently outstanding photographic coverage of the terrorist attack on New York City and its aftermath. Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Thomas E. Franklin of The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, for his memorable photograph of three firefighters raising an American flag amidst the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers, and Tyler Hicks and James Hill of The New York Times for their comprehensive portfolio of dramatic yet humane images from the war in Afghanistan.

For the category of Feature Photography, the award was given to The New York Times Staff for its photographs chronicling the pain and the perseverance of people enduring protracted conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also nominated as finalists in this category were: J. Albert Diz of The Miami Herald for his diverse images portraying American life in the sprawl of south Florida's Broward County, and Mike Stocker, A. Enrique Valentin and Hilda M. Perez of the Sun-Sentinel for their compelling and explanatory images illustrating the devastating impact of AIDS in the Caribbean.