The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 14, 2026, at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, airing live on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Mariska Hargitay hosts the ceremony solo, while The Pitt leads all programs with 25 nominations.
Television’s biggest night arrives with a mix of historic milestones, major category shifts, and fierce competition across both traditional networks and streaming platforms. Viewers planning to watch the ceremony live in the U.S. will need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus plan for streaming, while Peacock Select subscribers will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs. E! will handle red-carpet coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET with hosts Erin Lim Rhodes, Lance Bass, and Ciara Miller.
Mariska Hargitay Makes Hosting History as First Solo Emcee in 15 Years
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay takes the stage as this year’s master of ceremonies, marking her first-ever awards show hosting gig. The milestone also ends a 15-year drought for female solo hosts, a role unfilled since Jane Lynch led the broadcast in 2011.
Hargitay brings serious pedigree to the podium. Having starred as Olivia Benson since 1999, she won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series in 2006. She also enters the evening as a recent winner, having collected two trophies ahead of the main broadcast for her HBO documentary, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, winning outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program and outstanding documentary or nonfiction special.
The star-studded presenter lineup features a deep roster of familiar talent. The stage will welcome Odessa A’zion, Macaulay Culkin, Alan Cumming, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jon Hamm, Marcello Hernández, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh, Rachel Senott, and Zendaya, among many others.
The Pitt and Hacks Dominate Nominations While Comedy Sets a Record
When it comes to the race for gold, The Pitt leads the pack with 25 nods, including major category slots for outstanding drama series, outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Noah Wyle, outstanding supporting actor in a drama series, and outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. Comedy powerhouse Hacks follows closely behind with 24 nominations, setting a record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year.
Other heavy hitters fighting for top trophies include Widow’s Bay with 19 nominations, Pluribus with 18, and Beef pulling in 16. Across the entire ballot, this year’s race features 28 first-time performer nominees.
The broader landscape also reflects structural updates from the Television Academy. Planners combined the outstanding scripted variety series and outstanding talk series categories into a single outstanding variety series category following a decline in submissions in both categories in recent years. The Academy also renamed the outstanding television movie category simply to outstanding movie, while changes were made to several other categories, including short form, sound mixing and music. Furthermore, the Television Academy introduced the Legacy Award this year to recognize television programs that have made a lasting impact on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry, with I Love Lucy becoming the first program to receive the honor during the Sept. 6 Emmy ceremony.
Early Winners Set the Stage During Creative Arts Ceremonies
While the primary gold is handed out on Monday night, several major names already secured victories during the two-night Creative Arts Emmy Awards held on Sept. 5 and 6.
Sabrina Carpenter captured her first Emmy as an executive producer and performer on The Muppet Show, which won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). Meanwhile, the late Rob Reiner won a posthumous Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role as Albert on The Bear.
Bad Bunny added his name to the winner’s circle as his Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show won seven awards, including outstanding variety special (live). Additional early winners included Alan Cumming, who won outstanding host for a reality or reality competition program for The Traitors, and Jimmy Kimmel, who won outstanding host for a game show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
