The Guardian and Washington Post shared this year's Pulitzer Prize for public service in journalism for their exposés on the National Security Agency's widespread secret surveillance activities that were revealed by contractor-turned-whistleblower, Edward J. Snowden.

The reports published by the two newspapers triggered a massive outcry from both the domestic and international scenes, prompting President Barack Obama to reform the NSA and limit its powers.

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The revelations on massive spying had caused embarrassment to the US government, and American society remains divided to this day on whether to consider Snowden a hero or a traitor for endangering national security.

The Pulitzer Prize, awarded by Columbia University, is a prestigious award that honors outstanding works by journalists working in US-based publications. 

There has been much anticipation for this year's awards. Many were left wondering if the American journalism award would be given to the journalists who are perceived by some sectors of American society to have bolstered Snowden's determination to turn against his own country by publishing stories about him.

Since Snowden fled to Hong Kong with stacks of classified documents from the NSA, the former contractor had been on the run, eventually settling in Russia after several countries offered him asylum, but could not facilitate his entry.

The Washington Post's, Barton Gellman, and the Guardian's, Glenn Greenwald, Ewen MacAskil and Laura Poitras received the Pulitzer Prize for public service for their Snowden stories.

Snowden congratulated the journalists saying their work has given the world a better future.

"I am grateful to the committee for their recognition of the efforts of those involved in the last year's reporting, and join others around the world in congratulating Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Barton Gellman, Ewen MacAskill and all of the others at the Guardian and Washington Post on winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service," Snowden said in a statement Monday right after the Pulitzer winners were announced.

American news agency Reuters also won the Pulitzer for International Reporting for covering Myanmar's Muslim minority citizens who fell prey to human-trafficking syndicates in their attempt to flee violent persecution.

The Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News went to Boston Globe for its fast and comprehensive coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260.

The award for best feature writing category was scrapped this year.

Washington Post won another prize, the Explanatory Journalism award, for its series of stories detailing the plight of American families depending on food stamp welfare. Eli Saslow wrote the stories.

The New York Times bagged two awards in the photography categories.  For his coverage of a terror attack in Nairobi where 60 people died, Tyler Hicks won the Breaking News Photography Prize.

Josh Haner bagged the Breaking News Photography prize for capturing the images of a recovery of a survivor in the Boston Marathon bombing.