ASHA To Present Its Annie Glenn Award To The Pitt
TV Medical Drama Spotlights the Importance of Effective Communication
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Rockville, MD, Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Pitt, a popular and highly regarded TV series, will receive the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Annie Glenn Award at ASHA’s convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, this November.
Named after the late Annie Glenn, a long and tireless champion for people with communication disorders, the award is presented annually to individuals, organizations, and entities that follow in Ms. Glenn’s footsteps. Past awardees include the actors James Earl Jones and Julie Andrews; former U.S. President Joe Biden; former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly; and the TV sitcom Speechless, which aired for several years and was about a boy who communicated using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods and tools.
Set in the emergency department of a Pittsburgh hospital, the Max Original series, The Pitt, from John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television, has regularly portrayed a need for effective communication in such settings, and it has also consistently illustrated the very different experiences of patients depending on whether they had access to communication or not during the time of their medical emergency visit.
In addition, the TV program has shown how social determinants of health—such as language access—can make care difficult. The Pitt has also depicted just how complex clinical decision-making—something that ASHA members, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists address daily—can be and has represented the work of clinicians with authenticity. The TV series has also realistically featured the impact of policy decisions and debates on patient care—and how those policy decisions can be the difference between life and death.
“We are very pleased to be recognizing The Pitt with this year’s Annie Award,” ASHA President Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, EdD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, said. “It approaches the complexities of modern health care in rare factual and thoughtful ways, whether spotlighting the importance of communication, the valuable roles that health professionals play, or the impact of policy decisions made far from the frontline of care.”
“We are honored to accept ASHA’s prestigious Annie Glenn Award,” R. Scott Gemmill, series creator, showrunner and executive producer said. “The Pitt is committed to the portrayal of real-life challenges around communication and access in the Emergency Room with the aim to raise awareness and offer solutions. We are grateful for ASHA’s example of advocacy and progress, and their work that continues to raise the bar for The Pitt and the world around us.”
Valerie Chu, a co-producer and writer for The Pitt, will receive The Annie Glenn Award on behalf of the show on Friday, November 20, 2026, at an evening awards program at the Indianapolis Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 247,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. www.asha.org
View all ASHA press releases at https://www.asha.org/about/press-room/.
Contact Info
Joseph Cerquone
JCerquone@asha.org
+1 301-296-8732
