Humanitas Prizes 2026 Unveils Nominees, Highlighting KPop, Billy Joel Doc, and More!

Nominations for the prestigious 2026 Humanitas Prize have been officially announced. This esteemed award recognizes television and film writers whose work profoundly explores the human condition. Since its inception in 1974, the Humanitas Prizes have honored creators for their nuanced and meaningful storytelling, with past winners including iconic shows and films like All in the Family, ER, Hidden Figures, and Good Will Hunting.

This year's awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 9 at Avalon Hollywood and will be hosted by the talented writer-comedian Ashley Nicole Black. In addition to the competitive categories, Winnie Holzman, the creator of My So-Called Life and co-writer of Wicked, will be honored with the Kieser Award. This special recognition celebrates writers who have consistently devoted their careers to crafting stories that highlight and celebrate common humanity.

A wide array of compelling works across various genres are vying for the coveted prizes. In the Drama Feature category, the nominees include All That’s Left of You by Cherien Dabis, Preparation for the Next Life by Martyna Majok, Train Dreams by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, and Song Sung Blue. The screenplay for Song Sung Blue, a drama about a Neil Diamond tribute performer and his wife's life-altering accident, was written by Craig Brewer, and earned Kate Hudson an Oscar nomination for best actress.

The Family Feature category sees Elio (Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi), Grow (Nick Güthe, Christos N. Gage, Ruth Fletcher Gage), Hoppers (Jesse Andrews, Daniel Chong), and KPop Demon Hunters in contention. KPop Demon Hunters has already garnered significant attention, having spawned a Billboard 200-topping soundtrack album.

For Documentary (Docuseries, Single Episode), the nominees are Billy Joel: And So It Goes (“Part Two”), Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (“Shelter of Last Resort”), Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (“Part Two”), and Rise of the 49ers (“We Built This City”). Billy Joel: And So It Goes (“Part Two”), written by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, is an HBO documentary segment that delves into Billy Joel’s shift towards socially conscious music, particularly his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, and explores his personal battles with depression and alcoholism, featuring candid insights from his wife, ex-wives, and daughter.

Other nominated works across television categories include:

• Drama Teleplay:Chicago Med (“The Book of Charles”) by Allen MacDonald, Grey’s Anatomy (“Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”) by Jess Righthand, Paradise (“Graceland”) by Dan Fogelman and Eric Wen, and The Testaments (“Stadium”) by Gianna Sobol.
• Comedy Teleplay:Abbott Elementary (“Goofgirl”) by Justin Tan, Long Story Short (“Yoshi’s Bar Mitzvah”) by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Resident Alien (“The End is Here”) by Chris Sheridan, and Shrinking (“My Bad”) by Brian Gallivan.
• Limited Series Teleplay:Beef (“Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort”) by Lee Sung Jin and Madeleine Pron, DTF St. Louis (“No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way from Across the Street”) by Steven Conrad, Hal & Harper (“Are You Watching?”) by Cooper Raiff, and Washington Black (“The Flying Man & the Musician”) by Selwyn Hinds.
• Children’s Teleplay:E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web (“Part 3”) by Levi Abrino, My Brother the Minotaur (“Lunacy and Lorcan”) by Mark B. Hodkinson, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (“The Shade of It All”) by Tiffany Thomas, and Tab Time (“When We Lose Someone”) by Sean Presant.

Further nominations extend to film categories:

• Comedy Feature:A Nice Indian Boy by Eric Randall, Rental Family by Hikari and Stephen Blahut, The Invite by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, and The Baltimorons by Jay Duplass and Michael Strassner.
• Short Film:Beyond Unstoppable by Valerie Alexander, Double Happiness by Shari Albert and Laura LeeLun, The Birthday Gift by Stephanie Alison Walker and Paula Pizzi, and Vital by Amir Zargara and Gabe Berry.
• Documentary (Feature):Come See Me in the Good Light by Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, and Stef Willen; The Tale of Silyan by Tamara Kotevska; Life After by Reid Davenport and Colleen Cassingham; and Shuffle by Benjamin Flaherty.