Ceremony Celebrates 10 Winning TV Series
Hollywood, Health & Society pays tribute to TV Storytelling That Positively Impacts Health and Culture
Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) announces that actor, comedian and musician Jay Pharoah will host the 2026 Norman Lear Awards on Thursday, October 29 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, CA.
HH&S, a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, marks its 26th annual awards, recognizing the past year’s best television entertainment that makes a difference with storylines that inform audiences on topics including healthcare, racism, cancer, reproductive rights, mental health, and climate change.
In a full-circle moment, Pharoah notably starred as J.J. Evans in the Emmy-winning Live in Front of a Studio Audience version of Norman Lear’s Good Times. “I’m excited to celebrate the legacy of Norman Lear and the power of television at Hollywood, Health & Society’s 26th annual awards,” said Pharoah. “This year’s outstanding honorees show how TV storytelling can both inspire and entertain with meaning and impact.”
Pharoah’s many performance credits include solo comedy specials, numerous films (Ride Along, Spinning Gold, and The Blackening) and tons of television (host of The Quiz With Balls, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Invincibles, A Million Little Things, and the lead role in White Famous) showing both comedic and dramatic chops. He also headlines comedy clubs across the country where he rips the lid off pop culture, sharing his unique perspective. In addition, this summer, he released his evocative debut album, The Odyssey.
“Year after year, these awards demonstrate that shows that matter to viewers’ lives can also win ratings and make money,” said Lear Center founding director Marty Kaplan, who holds Annenberg’s Norman Lear chair in entertainment, media and society.
The 2026 Norman Lear Awards will honor talented storytellers from a diverse selection of dramas and comedies. Shows recognized for their outstanding portrayal of critical topics include: The Morning Show, The Diplomat, Beyond the Gates, medical dramas Brilliant Minds, 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy, and comedies The Boroughs, Abbott Elementary, ted, and Scrubs.
“In an age where accuracy often gets twisted or even buried for convenience, television has shown how entertainment doesn’t have to come at the expense of the truth,” said Kate Folb, program director for Hollywood, Health & Society. HH&S offers free expert consultations for TV writers, helping to create accurate and informative storytelling.
The winners of the 2026 Norman Lear Awards:
- Abbott Elementary (ABC) “Aide”
- Topic: Mental Health
- Beyond the Gates (CBS) – multi-episode storyline
- Topic: Racial Healthcare Disparities/Breast Cancer
- Brilliant Minds (NBC) “The Fire Fighter”
- Topic: Advances in Health/Clinical Trials
- Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – multi-episode storyline
- Topic: Racial Healthcare Disparities/Prostate Cancer
- Scrubs (ABC) “My 2nd First Day”
- Topic: Healthcare Access
- The Morning Show (AppleTV) – Season 4
- Topic: Climate Change/Environmental Health
- Ted (Peacock) “Roe v. Weed”
- Topic: Abortion/Reproductive Rights
- The Boroughs (Netflix) “Welcome to the Boroughs”
- Topic: Sleep Disorders
- The Diplomat (Netflix) “Schrodinger’s Wife”
- Topic: Diplomacy and National Security
- 9-1-1 (ABC) “Fighting Back”
- Topic: Mental Health
Entries from broadcast, cable and streaming network shows were eligible and represent a range of topics on health, safety and security. Scripted shows were reviewed by judges for both accuracy of information, and for entertainment value and potential benefit to the viewing audience.
Last year’s ceremony, hosted by award-winning comedian, writer and producer Carol Leifer (Hacks, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, SNL) presented a gala red carpet of winners including Wendie Malick (Shrinking), Jason Ritter (Matlock), Sarah Shahi (Paradise), Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy) and host committee members actress Judith Light and Lyn Lear as well as showrunners such as Kim Rosenstock (Dying for Sex). The Culture of Health Award was presented to The Pitt by Katherine LaNasa to fellowEmmy-winnerNoah Wyle, showrunner R. Scott Gemmill and the writing team for Season 1 of the HBO Max groundbreaking medical drama.
The ceremony will be co-written by Ann Slichter and Shelly Goldstein, returning for the sixth year. Slichter is an Emmy nominee and WGA Award-winning head writer for Celebrity Weakest Link (FOX), NBC’s Weakest Link and Hollywood Game Night. Her credits also include Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the Directors Guild of America Awards and the People’s Choice Awards. Goldstein has written dozens of awards shows, such as the WGA, NARAS MusiCares, and People for the American Way. Most recently, she wrote Sherlock & Daughter (The CW), now on HBO Max. Other credits include PBS’s Emmy-winning Great Performances and special material for such artists as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lily Tomlin and Stephen Colbert.
HH&S provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for storylines on health, safety and security through consultations and briefings with experts. Based at the Lear Center, HH&S is a free resource for writers, producers and others in search of credible information. Past and present support for HH&S has come from funders that include the California Health Care Foundation, Caring Across Generations, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information about resources for writers, go to www.usc.edu/hhs.
The Norman Lear Center is a multidisciplinary research and public policy center studying and shaping the impact of entertainment and media on society. From its base in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Lear Center builds bridges between faculty who study aspects of entertainment, media and culture. Beyond campus, it bridges the gap between entertainment industry and academia, and between them and the public. For more information, visit www.learcenter.org.
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is among the nation’s leading institutions devoted to the study of journalism and communication, and their impact on politics, culture and society. USC Annenberg offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in journalism, communication, public diplomacy and public relations. For more information, visit www.annenberg.usc.edu.
###