‘P-Valley’ Creator Katori Hall wins Pulitzer Prize

"The Mountaintop" Broadway Opening Night - Arrivals & Curtain Call — NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Playwright Katori Hall attends "The Mountaintop" Broadway opening night at The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 13, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images)

By Michael “Ice-Blue” Harris | June 14, 2021 | – (Source: www.rollingout.com) Katori Hall, the executive producer and showrunner for Starz’s hit drama “P-Valley” has been awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The playwright’s comedy, The Hot Wing King was bestowed the prestigious honor. The play opened Feb. 11, 2020, at New York’s Signature Theater but was forced to close only weeks later by the pandemic.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 13: Playwright Katori Hall attends “The Mountaintop” Broadway opening night at The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 13, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa / Getty Images) Andy Kropa/Getty Images

According to Playbill, The Hot Wing King explores the concepts of Black masculinity and chosen families. Set in Memphis, Tennessee, the play follows Cordell as he prepares for the annual Hot Wang Festival with his partner Dwayne and friends. As Cordell enters culinary competition mode, however, the arrival of Dwayne’s teenage nephew heralds the unpacking of family trauma and a lasting change to their dynamic.

With COVID-19 restrictions causing most theaters to close during the pandemic, the Pulitzer Prize board altered the requirements for this year’s drama award, allowing postponed or canceled works, as well as plays produced and performed in places other than theaters. The Hot Wing King opened off-Broadway just days before the city’s theaters were closed.

The Pulitzer board praised Hall’s work in a statement to Deadline for its “funny, deeply felt consideration of Black masculinity and how it is perceived, filtered through the experiences of a loving gay couple and their extended family as they prepare for a culinary competition.” The Pulitzer Prize for Drama also comes with a $15,000 cash prize.

Hall is currently nominated for a Tony Award for her book titled Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Her 2009 play, The Mountaintop, won an Laurence Olivier Award in the past and starred Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett on Broadway.

In December, Hall also signed an overall deal with Lionsgate Television to create and develop projects for the production studio.