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First, the Knicks win and now this. NBC has tapped one of its primetime superstars to host the 78th Emmy Awards: “Law & Order: SVU” star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay will lead this year’s kudocast. That makes
Hargitay the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years — since 2011, when Jane Lynch hosted for Fox.
Hargitay will take the stage at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater on Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT; the ceremony airs live on NBC and Peacock.
“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career. It’s my great honor to host the 78th Emmy Awards — in the 100th birthday year of my beloved NBC — and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers,” Hargitay said in a statement. “Whether it’s an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us. Regardless of how, where or when we watch, we are together in our laughter, our tears, our love of stories — and our delighted anticipation to see what happens next.”
Hargitay reps a unique choice by NBC and the Television Academy for hosting the Emmys, which in recent years has stuck mostly with standups, late night hosts or comedic actors. The last time NBC held the Emmys, in 2022, “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson hosted; and in 2018, NBC tapped “SNL Weekend Update” stars Michael Che and Colin Jost as Emmy hosts. Last year, standup Nate Bargatze hosted the telecast for CBS.
Not only is Hargitay the first female Emmy host in 15 years, she’s just the fourth this century. Previously, that included Ellen DeGeneres (2001 and 2005), Heidi Klum (who co-hosted with Tom Bergeron, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst and Ryan Secrest in 2008) and Lynch.
In tapping Hargitay, NBC/Peacock’s Jen Neal, the exec VP, live events and specials, noted that bringing in a key network player was in line with this year’s NBC 100 celebrations.
“Mariska has earned her place among television’s icons,” said Neal said in a statement. “Few performers have left the kind of mark on television that Mariska has. For 27 seasons, she has brought strength, compassion and humanity to one of the most beloved characters on TV. As NBC celebrates 100 years of unforgettable storytelling, we can’t think of anyone more fitting to help celebrate the incredible legacy of television.”
Hargitay is no stranger to the Emmy stage, of course. She won the outstanding lead drama actress Emmy in 2006 for “SVU”; she’s been nominated in that category eight times (consecutively from 2004 to 2011). She also won a News and Documentary Emmy (administered by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) in 2017, as a producer on “I Am Evidence,” which won the best documentary category that year.
Also, Hargitay appeared on last year’s Emmy ceremony as part of a tribute to the 35th anniversary of the “Law & Order” franchise. And she has been a presenter on the telecast multiple times, including last year.
Having starred as Capt. Olivia Benson on “SVU” since 1999 (making it the longest-running primetime live-action drama in television history), Hargitay has also won a Golden Globe and been nominated six times at the SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards.
Besides serving as star and EP on “SVU,” Hargitay is a director on the show, which enters its 28th season this fall on NBC and will hit its 600th episode.
“Mariska is one of television’s most beloved stars, whose talent, authenticity and extraordinary connection with audiences have made her an enduring force in our industry and in culture,” Television Academy chair Cris Abrego said in a statement. “We’re so delighted to have her join us as the host of this year’s Emmys telecast and know that she will create an unforgettable evening honoring the very best of television.”
It’s been a big year for Hargitay, who just ended her Broadway debut stint in the solo play “Every Brilliant Thing” at the Hudson Theatre. And her personal documentary “My Mom Jayne,” which focuses on the life and legacy of her mother, Jayne Mansfield, has already won awards and is submitted for Emmy consideration this year in the documentary (special) category.
Of course, then there’s the big NBA championship win by her beloved New York Knicks. Add in the Emmy hosting gig, and everything’s coming up Hargitay.
Hargitay and her team will work closely with Emmys producer Jesse Collins Entertainment, which signed on in April to produce the kudocast for the fourth year in a row. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment are executive producers of the telecast.
Nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards will be announced by the TV Academy on Wednesday, July 8, streaming live at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT on Emmys.com.
The two Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies, produced by Bob Bain Productions in association with the Television Academy, will take place Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6.
