The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, featuring Mariska Hargitay as the first solo female host in fifteen years, with The Pitt leading all programs with 25 nominations.
Television’s biggest night is approaching as the industry prepares for a major ceremony at L.A.’s Peacock Theater. Viewers in the U.S. can watch the proceedings live on NBC or stream the event on Peacock, though access requires a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus plan. Peacock Select subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but they will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs. Ahead of the main telecast, the red carpet coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on Live From E!, hosted by Erin Lim Rhodes alongside Lance Bass and Ciara Miller.
Mariska Hargitay Takes the Solo Hosting Spotlight
The ceremony brings a notable milestone for its master of ceremonies. Mariska Hargitay will host the 78th installment, marking her first-ever awards show hosting gig. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star also breaks a fifteen-year drought, becoming the first woman to solo host the Primetime Emmys since Jane Lynch did so in 2011.
Hargitay enters the evening with deep ties to the Television Academy. Having starred as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU
since 1999, she won an outstanding lead actress in a drama series Emmy for the role in 2006. She added two more wins to her resume ahead of the main broadcast for her HBO documentary, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, taking home outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program and outstanding documentary or nonfiction special.
The 2026 Emmy Awards Are Almost Here—Here’s Exactly When
Nominations Lead with The Pitt and Hacks
Competition for the golden statuettes is fierce across both traditional networks and streaming platforms. The Pitt leads the pack with 25 total nods, securing recognition in major categories including 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 favorite Hacks follows closely with 24 nominations, setting a record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year. Other heavily recognized contenders include Widow’s Bay with 19 nods, Pluribus with 18, and Beef pulling in 16 nominations alongside 28 first-time performer nominees across the ballot.
Creative Arts Winners Set the Stage
While the main categories remain undecided, several high-profile winners already claimed trophies during the two-night Creative Arts Emmy Awards held on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6. Sabrina Carpenter won her first Emmy as an executive producer and performer on The Muppet Show, which won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
2026 Emmys: When is the ceremony, how to watch
The late Rob Reiner won outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role as Albert on The Bear. Meanwhile, Bad Bunny became a first-time Emmy winner as his Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show won seven awards, including outstanding variety special (live). Other 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.
Television Academy Structural Changes
Viewers tuning in will notice a restructured category lineup. The Television Academy 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. Additionally, the outstanding television movie category was also renamed to outstanding movie, while changes were made to several other categories, including short form, sound mixing and music.
The academy also 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. I Love Lucy became the first program to receive the honor during the Sept. 6 Emmy ceremony.
With categories streamlined and a star-studded lineup of presenters—including 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—set to take the stage alongside host Mariska Hargitay, the industry waits to see which nominated programs will convert their record-breaking tallies into wins.
