- On The Red Carpet
How ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star James Pickens Jr. inspired award-winning episodes
The Norman Lear Awards honor TV promoting change around mental health, healthcare, cancer, racism, reproductive rights and more.
“Grey’s Anatomy” star James Pickens Jr. was the inspiration for an award-winning storyline about his own cancer journey. Hear him open up about the recognition.
ABC
ByAmy Becker
Friday, October 30, 2026 6:02AM
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. –Several ABC hits are earning recognition for their impactful storytelling this year.
Hosted by Jay Pharoah, the 2026 Norman Lear Awards honored the television shows sparking real conversations around healthcare, racism, cancer, reproductive rights, mental health and climate change.
Among the winners are “Grey’s Anatomy,” for its multi-episode storyline around healthcare disparities and prostate cancer; “Abbott Elementary,” recognized for the conversation around mental health in the episode “Aide;” “Scrubs,” for the episode “My 2nd First Day,” focusing on healthcare access; and “9-1-1,” following the mental health storyline in the episode “Fighting Back.”
On The Red Carpet was on site at the Writers Guild Theater ahead of the ceremony, where we spoke with the stars about the recognitions.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” storyline focusing on healthcare disparities and prostate cancer follows Dr. Richard Webber, who has been played by James Pickens Jr. since 2005. Pickens Jr. revealed his own prostate cancer diagnosis in 2025 and used his character’s storyline to spread awareness and encourage prostate cancer screenings. He spoke directly about the matter in a PSA at the end of an episode.
Pickens Jr. shared more of his story with us, saying “I was diagnosed back in 2024 with prostate cancer. We caught it early. I opted for treatment and now going almost into 2027, I’m still, knock on wood, cancer free.”
He continued, “I wanted to try and parallel that story and get the word out to to men, especially black men, about getting tested. And early detection is the key. So the writers were great at crafting a story that aligned with mine, and I think it resonated with the audience. 1 in 6 black men will be diagnosed in their lifetime with prostate cancer as compared to the rest of the demographic. And so, and a lot of it goes untreated, when it could be. And a lot of men have lost their lives because of it. And so, if we could get the word out and say, ‘get tested,’ it’s one of the most treatable cancers when it’s detected early. Once we can do that, I think we’re in the right direction moving forward.”
When it comes to creating content that matters, he tells us, “TV isn’t as mindless as we’d like to think. We do tell good stories, and we do make an impact when we can. And if I can make a little bit of one, then I’m doing my job.”
“Abbott Elementary” stars Luke Tennie, Lisa Ann Walter and William Stanford Davis discuss Norman Lear Award recognition
In the “Abbott Elementary” episode “Aide,” a teacher with ADHD, Dominic (Luke Tennie), has an honest conversation with another teacher, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who made comments about ADHD medication being “a shortcut.” Eventually, the two have a heart-to-heart about the subject and the way language is used to talk about medication. “I worry that calling it a shortcut might make some of the students feel ashamed,” voices Dominic.
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We spoke with Tennie, Lisa Ann Walter and William Stanford Davis about the episode and “Abbott’s” impact in the video above.
Both “Scrubs” and “9-1-1” tackle topics involving health.
“Scrubs” approached the topic of healthcare access in “My 2nd First Day,” which follows a patient and their treatment journey, which is made more difficult by the insurance company.
“9-1-1’s” “Fighting Back” shows a different side of a first responder than we usually see on screen. As Hen (Aisha Hinds), the ever resilient and calm-under-pressure firefighter-paramedic juggles her mysterious illness and fights for a diagnosis, her friends and family rally behind her to keep her spirits up.
The Norman Lear Awards are judged based on accuracy of information, entertainment value and potential benefit to the viewing audience.
You can catch up on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Scrubs” and “9-1-1” on Hulu.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC, Hulu and this ABC station.
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