The Pitt Composers Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivik to Perform Emmy-Nominated Song at MPTF Benefit
Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivik, the composers behind HBO Max's hospital drama The Pitt, will perform their Emmy-nominated song "Need Someone" at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's 20th annual Evening Before benefit on 13 September 2026 — the night before the 78th Emmy Awards. The performance was first reported by Deadline on 25 August 2026.
Bird and Brivik wrote "Need Someone" for the second season of The Pitt, which racked up 25 Emmy nominations — one of the highest totals for any show this cycle. The song earned a nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. In the series, it plays during the death scene of recurring patient Louie, played by Ernest Harden Jr. Andrew Bird, a singer and multi-instrumentalist with a long solo career, sang and performed the track for the show's soundtrack.
The Evening Before is the MPTF's annual pre-Emmy fundraiser. Money raised goes toward the organisation's safety net of health and social services for working and retired entertainment industry members — including temporary financial assistance, case management, and residential living at the MPTF's Woodland Hills campus in Los Angeles.
The Pitt executive producer John Wells, himself an Emmy winner, sits on the MPTF's Board of Directors, connecting the show to the charity at an organisational level.
Gavin Brivik said that he and Bird are grateful for the chance to write the song for the series and excited to perform it in front of the cast. The Evening Before gathering typically draws nominees, studio executives and industry veterans, which means the composers will be playing to a room that includes colleagues from across the television landscape.
For fans of the show, the performance offers a rare live rendering of a song tied to one of The Pitt's most emotional moments. The benefit setting adds another layer: every ticket and donation feeds back into the MPTF's work supporting industry workers who have fallen on hard times.
The 78th Emmy Awards take place on 14 September 2026.
