The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning has been awarded since 1922 for a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect.

• 1922: Rollin Kirby , New York World for "On the Road to Moscow."
• 1923: no award given
• 1924: Jay Norwood Darling, Des Moines Register and Tribune for "In Good Old USA."
• 1925: Rollin Kirby , New York World for "News from the Outside World."
• 1926: D. R. Fitzpatrick , St. Louis Post-Dispatch for "The Laws of Moses and the Laws of Today."
• 1927: Nelson Harding , Brooklyn Daily Eagle for "Toppling the Idol."
• 1928: Nelson Harding , Brooklyn Daily Eagle for "May His Shadow Never Grow Less."
• 1929: Rollin Kirby , New York World for "Tammany."
• 1930: Charles R. Macauley , Brooklyn Daily Eagle for "Paying for a Dead Horse."
• 1931: Edmund Duffy , Baltimore Sun for "An Old Struggle Still Going On."
• 1932: John T. McCutcheon, Chicago Tribune for "A Wise Economist Asks a Question."
• 1933: H. M. Talburt , Washington Daily News for "The Light of Asia."
• 1934: Edmund Duffy , Baltimore Sun for "California Points with Pride!"
• 1935: Ross A. Lewis , Milwaukee Journal for "Sure, I'll Work for Both Sides."
• 1936: no award given
• 1937: C. D. Batchelor , New York Daily News for "Come on in, I'll treat you right. I used to know your Daddy."
• 1938: Vaughn Shoemaker , Chicago Daily News for "The Road Back."
• 1939: Charles G. Werner , Daily Oklahoman for "Nomination for 1938."
• 1940: Edmund Duffy , Baltimore Sun for "The Outstretched Hand."
• 1941: Jacob Burck , Chicago Times for "If I Should Die Before I Wake."
• 1942: Herbert Lawrence Block (Herblock), NEA service for "British Plane"
• 1943: Jay Norwood Darling, Des Moines Register and Tribune for "What a Place For a Waste Paper Salvage Campaign."
• 1944: Clifford K. Berryman , Evening Star (Washington D.C.) for "Where Is the Boat Going?"
• 1945: Sergeant Bill Mauldin, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. for distinguished service as a cartoonist, as exemplified by the cartoon entitled, "Fresh, spirited American troops, flushed with victory, are bringing in thousands of hungry, ragged, battle-weary prisoners," in the series entitled, "Up Front With Mauldin."
• 1946: Bruce Alexander Russell , Los Angeles Times for "Time to Bridge That Gulch."
• 1947: Vaughn Shoemaker , Chicago Daily News for his cartoon, "Still Racing His Shadow."
• 1948: Reuben L. Goldberg , New York Sun for "Peace Today."
• 1949: Lute Pease , Newark Evening News for "Who Me?"
• 1950: James T. Berryman , Evening Star (Washington D.C.) for "All Set for a Super-Secret Session in Washington."
• 1951: Reg (Reginald W.) Manning , Arizona Republic for "Hats."
• 1952: Fred L. Packer , New York Mirror for "Your Editors Ought to Have More Sense Than to Print What I Say !"
• 1953: Edward D. Kuekes , Cleveland Plain Dealer for "Aftermath ."
• 1954: Herbert Lawrence Block (Herblock), Washington Post and Times-Herald for a cartoon depicting the robed figure of Death saying to Stalin after he died, "You Were Always A Great Friend of Mine, Joseph."
• 1955: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick , St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for a cartoon published on June 8, 1954 entitled, "How Would Another Mistake Help?" showing Uncle Sam, bayoneted rifle in hand, pondering whether to wade into a black marsh bearing the legend "French Mistakes in Indo-China." The award is also given for distinguished body of the work of Mr. Fitzpatrick in both 1954 and his entire career.
• 1956: Robert York , Louisville Times for his cartoon, "Achilles" showing a bulging figure of American prosperity tapering to a weak heel labeled "Farm Prices."
• 1957: Tom Little , Nashville Tennessean for "Wonder Why My Parents Didn't Give Me Salk Shots?" published on January 12, 1956.
• 1958: Bruce M. Shanks , Buffalo Evening News for "The Thinker," published on August 10, 1957, depicting the dilemma of union membership when confronted by racketeering leaders in some labor unions.
• 1959: William H. (Bill) Mauldin, St. Louis Post-Dispatch for "I won the Nobel Prize for Literature. What was your crime ?" published on October 30, 1958.
• 1960: no award given
• 1961: Carey Orr , Chicago Tribune for "The Kindly Tiger," published on October 8, 1960.
• 1962: Edmund S. Valtman, Hartford Times for "What You Need, Man, Is a Revolution Like Mine," published on August 31, 1961.
• 1963: Frank Miller , Des Moines Register for a cartoon which showed a world destroyed with one ragged figure calling to another: "I said we sure settled that dispute, didn't we!"
• 1964: Paul Conrad, The Denver Post for his editorial cartooning during the past year.
• 1965: no award given
• 1966: Don Wright , Miami News for "You Mean You Were Bluffing?"
• 1967: Patrick B. Oliphant, Denver Post for "They Won't Get Us To The Conference Table . . . Will They?" published February 1, 1966.
• 1968: Eugene Gray Payne , Charlotte Observer for his editorial cartooning in 1967.
• 1969: John Fischetti , Chicago Daily News for his editorial cartooning in 1968.
• 1970: Thomas F. Darcy , Newsday, for his editorial cartooning during 1969.
• 1971: Paul Conrad, Los Angeles Times for his editorial cartooning during 1970.
• 1972: Jeffrey K. MacNelly , Richmond News-Leader for his editorial cartooning during 1971.
• 1973: no award given
• 1974: Paul Szep , Boston Globe for his editorial cartooning during 1973.
• 1975: Garry Trudeau, Universal Press Syndicate , for his cartoon strip Doonesbury.
• 1976: Tony Auth , Philadelphia Inquirer for "O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain," published on July 22, 1975.
• 1977: Paul Szep , Boston Globe
• 1978: Jeffrey K. MacNelly , Richmond News Leader
• 1979: Herbert L. Block , Washington Post for the body of his work.
• 1980: Don Wright , Miami News
• 1981: Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)
• 1982: Ben Sargent , Austin American-Statesman
• 1983: Richard Locher , Chicago Tribune
• 1984: Paul Conrad, Los Angeles Times
• 1985: Jeff MacNelly, Chicago Tribune
• 1986: Jules Feiffer, Village Voice (New York City)
• 1987: Berke Breathed, Washington Post Writers Group
• 1988: Doug Marlette , Atlanta Constitution and Charlotte Observer
• 1989: Jack Higgins , Chicago Sun-Times
• 1990: Tom Toles, Buffalo News for his work during the year as exemplified by the cartoon "First Amendment."
• 1991: Jim Borgman, Cincinnati Enquirer
• 1992: Signe Wilkinson , Philadelphia Daily News
• 1993: Stephen R. Benson , Arizona Republic
• 1994: Michael P. Ramirez , Commercial Appeal (Tennessee) for his trenchant cartoons on contemporary issues.
• 1995: Mike Luckovich , Atlanta Constitution
• 1996: Jim Morin , Miami Herald
• 1997: Walt Handelsman , Times-Picayune
• 1998: Stephen P. Breen , Asbury Park Press
• 1999: David Horsey , Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• 2000: Joel Pett , Lexington Herald-Leader
• 2001: Ann Telnaes, Los Angeles Times Syndicate
• 2002: Clay Bennett , Christian Science Monitor
• 2003: David Horsey , Seattle Post-Intelligencer for his perceptive cartoons executed with a distinctive style and sense of humor.
• 2004: Matt Davies , Journal News (White Plains, New York) for his piercing cartoons on an array of topics, drawn with a fresh, original style.