| Public service | The Washington Post | "... for the work of Dana Priest, Anne Hull and photographer Michel du Cille in exposing mistreatment of wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital, evoking a national outcry and producing reforms by federal officials." Original series |
| Breaking news reporting | The Washington Post Staff | "... for its exceptional, multi-faceted coverage of the deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, telling the developing story in print and online." Original series |
| Investigative reporting | Walt Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of The New York Times | "... for their stories on toxic ingredients in medicine and other everyday products imported from China, leading to crackdowns by American and Chinese officials." Original series |
| Investigative reporting | The Chicago Tribune Staff | "... for its exposure of faulty governmental regulation of toys, car seats and cribs, resulting in the extensive recall of hazardous products and congressional action to tighten supervision." Original series |
| Explanatory reporting | Amy Harmon of The New York Times | "... for her striking examination of the dilemmas and ethical issues that accompany DNA testing, using human stories to sharpen her reports." Original series |
| Local reporting | David Umhoefer of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | "... for his stories on the skirting of tax laws to pad pensions of county employees, prompting change and possible prosecution of key figures." Original article |
| National reporting | Jo Becker and Barton Gellman of The Washington Post | "... for their lucid exploration of Vice President Dick Cheney and his powerful yet sometimes disguised influence on national policy." Original series |
| International reporting | Steve Fainaru of The Washington Post | "... for his heavily reported series on private security contractors in Iraq that operate outside most of the laws governing American forces." Original series |
| Feature writing | Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post | "... for his chronicling of a world-class violinist who, as an experiment, played beautiful music in a subway station filled with unheeding commuters." Original article |
| Commentary | Steve Pearlstein of The Washington Post | "... for his insightful columns that explore the nation's complex economic ills with masterful clarity." |
| Criticism | Mark Feeney of The Boston Globe | "... for his penetrating and versatile command of the visual arts, from film and photography to painting." |
| Editorial writing | No Award | |
| Editorial cartooning | Michael Ramirez of Investor's Business Daily | "... for his provocative cartoons that rely on originality, humor and detailed artistry." |
| Breaking news photography | Adrees Latif of Reuters | "... for his dramatic photograph of a Japanese videographer, sprawled on the pavement, fatally wounded during a street demonstration in Myanmar." |
| Feature photography | Preston Gannaway of the Concord Monitor | "... for her intimate chronicle of a family coping with a parent's terminal illness." Original series |
