Television’s biggest night is set for Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, where the 78th Emmy Awards will honor the best shows and performances from the past year. In the United States, the ceremony will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock, requiring a Premium or Premium Plus plan for live viewing. Viewers in New Zealand can follow updates via NZ Herald coverage starting at 10 a.m., with delayed television coverage on Sky’s Rialto from 5.30 p.m.
The Pitt Leads Nominations as 2026 Primetime Emmys Approach
At the center of this year’s race is the medical drama The Pitt, which leads all programs with 25 nominations. Its impressive tally includes bids for outstanding drama series, outstanding supporting actor, outstanding supporting actress, and a lead actor nomination for Noah Wyle. Comedy favorite Hacks follows close behind with 24 nominations, setting a record for the most comedy series nominations in a single year. Other top-contending programs include Widow’s Bay with 19 nods, Pluribus with 18, and the anthology series Beef with 16 nominations.
Mariska Hargitay Makes History as Ceremony Host
The 2026 telecast will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay, best known for her long-running role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This marks her first-ever awards show hosting gig and carries a historic milestone: she is the first woman to host the Primetime Emmys solo since Jane Lynch in 2011. Hargitay is an Emmy winner herself, having previously won outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her signature role in 2006, alongside two recent Creative Arts Emmys for her HBO documentary, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.
Red carpet coverage will kick off ahead of the main event with Live From E! starting at 6 p.m. ET, hosted by Erin Lim Rhodes alongside Lance Bass and Ciara Miller. Presenters announced for the evening include a star-studded lineup of familiar faces such as Zendaya, Jon Hamm, Amy Poehler, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Levy, and Florence Pugh.
Creative Arts Winners and Television Academy Rule Changes
Ahead of the main broadcast, several awards were distributed during the two-night Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Among the winners, Sabrina Carpenter secured her first Emmy as an executive producer and performer on The Muppet Show, which won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). The late Rob Reiner received a posthumous Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role in The Bear, and Bad Bunny collected seven wins for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
The Television Academy also implemented several structural updates for the 78th awards cycle. Outstanding scripted variety series and outstanding talk series were combined into a single category due to recent declines in submissions, while the outstanding television movie category was shortened to outstanding movie. Additionally, the Academy introduced the Legacy Award to honor culturally impactful programs, with I Love Lucy receiving the inaugural distinction.
