The Pitt breakout poised to join Noah Wyle with an Emmy win
The Pitt might not stop at one Emmy. With Noah Wyle already a frontrunner, a scene-stealing co-star is crashing the race and setting up a possible sweep.
There’s a bit of a gold rush happening over at HBO Max, and it’s all swirling around their medical drama The Pitt. After Noah Wyle and Catherine LaNasa walked off with Emmys last year – plus the show itself snagging Outstanding Drama Series – you can see the awards momentum is firmly on their side. Now, it’s looking like another cast member could be squeezing onto the winner’s podium for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2026. If it keeps up like this, they’ll need to build a new wing just for The Pitt’s trophies.
How It’s Shaping Up for Emmy Season
Nominations voting is already done and dusted, with the nominees announced on 8 July and the actual ceremony scheduled for 14 September on NBC (or Peacock if you’re streaming).
Wyle and LaNasa? Practically engraved on the statuettes already. But it’s the supporting categories, especially Supporting Actor in a Drama, where you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled. The choices aren’t a total lock, but one bloke stands out above the rest at the moment: Patrick Ball, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon and doesn’t exactly fade into the background.
Ball’s Rising Odds – The Pitt’s In-House Competition
According to the latest Gold Derby numbers (as of late June), here’s how the predicted lineup looks for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. I’ve listed them for clarity, with their odds as a percentage for anyone who enjoys a flutter:
- Patrick Ball (The Pitt) – 81.53%
- Shawn Hatosy (The Pitt) – 74.95%
- Tom Pelphrey (Task) – 68.47%
- Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) – 66.80%
- Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) – 62.38%
- Gerran Howell (The Pitt) – 60.90%
- Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Pluribus) – 49.51%
- James Marsden (Paradise) – 23.48%
- Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) – 13.95%
- Dexter Sol Ansell (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) – 9.92%
- Ken Leung (Industry) – 6.58%
So Ball is in front, but as with any awards race, nothing is ever truly in the bag. The only thing more competitive than the NHS in winter is a supporting actor battle where half the nominees are colleagues from your own set.
The Betting Markets and the Critics’ Polls
Interestingly, on Kalshi – that’s the prediction market site – the odds tell a slightly different story. At the time I checked, Tom Pelphrey had just nudged into the lead at 26%, with Ball right there at 22% and Billy Crudup at 21%. Jacob Elordi and Colman Domingo also get a look-in for their work on Euphoria, but it’s a tight field. Worth noting: those odds didn’t even include Hatosy yet, so expect a bit of reshuffling once they update.
The critics at Variety also have a crack at this crystal ball business, slotting Ball in fourth, just behind Pelphrey, Crudup and Hatosy. Rounding out their top group are Vesga, Lowden and Howell. Kurt Russell (The Madison), David Harbour (Stranger Things), and Ato Essandoh (The Diplomat) are just outside that upper echelon.
Vote-Splitting and Storyline Politics
This is where it gets a bit more tactical: Ball’s biggest roadblock might well be his own co-stars. With Hatosy and Howell also in the running, there’s the classic risk of ‘splitting the vote’, which is never ideal in Academy politics.
But here’s an edge for Ball: his character Dr. Frank Langdon appears in every episode of season two. Hatosy’s Dr. Jack Abbot, on the other hand, mysteriously vanishes for nine out of fifteen episodes – good work if you can get it, I suppose. Plus, Langdon’s having the full redemption arc this run, trying to get back in the good books of Dr. Robby and Dr. Santos, and let’s be honest, dramatic transformation is exactly the sort of thing Emmy voters eat up. Abbot and Howell’s Dennis Whitaker have comparatively lighter material to work with.
Gold Derby editor’s verdict: 'It’s an embarrassment of riches, really.'
The Pitt’s Wider Emmy Hunt
It’s not just Ball sniffing around for a win, either. Other Pitt actors are looking lively for the guest acting categories and supporting slots. Here’s where those odds currently stand:
Outstanding Guest Actress (Drama):
Tal Anderson (Becca King) and Brittany Allen (Roxie Hamler) are sitting behind Shailene Woodley (Paradise), at second and third place in the poll.
Outstanding Guest Actor (Drama):
Jeff Kober (Duke) is holding steady in second place.
Outstanding Supporting Actress:
Taylor Dearden (Dr. Mel King) is in second, Sepideh Moafi (Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi) in sixth, and Fiona Dourif (Dr. Cassie McKay) ranks seventh. LaNasa, of course, is still the big name in this category.
The Pitt’s Future – No Sign of Slowing Down
Just so you know, HBO Max confirmed back in June that season three of The Pitt is officially in production, aiming for an early 2027 release. At this rate, you may as well get comfy – these lot might be popping up at the Emmys for years to come.