Why Is Mariska Hargitay Hosting Emmys Historic?

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nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards will be announced by the TV Academy on July 8 through live streaming at 11:30 AM (ET). Ahead of it, Mariska Hargitay has been confirmed to host the show. The awards will be held at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theatre on Monday, September 14, at 8 PM (ET), and the live streaming will be on NCB and Peacock. The streaming platform’s association with Mariska has been longstanding, as she has been a part of its long-running series Law & Order: SVU. This is the first time in the last 15 years that a woman will be taking centre stage to host the Emmy Awards.

Mariska Hargitay is first woman to host Emmy Awards after 15 years

Mariska is the first woman to host the ceremony after Jane Lynch did for Fox in 2011. Not just this, she is the fourth female in this century. Ellen DeGeneres hosted in 2001 and 2005, whereas Heidi Klum did in 2008, followed by Lynch in 2011. In an official statement, Mariska said bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of her career, and it is a great honour to host the 78th Emmy Awards in NCB’s 100th year.

Mariska Hargitay on hosting Emmys

She added, “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.”Before Mariska, the Television Academy chose hosts who belonged to stand-up and comedy spaces. In 2022, when NBC hosted the Emmys, Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson was chosen for the role. In 2018, SNL Weekend Update stars Michael Che and Colin Jost were Emmy hosts. Standup Nate Bargatze was the host for the telecast on CBS.

Mariska Hargitay on Emmy Awards stage

While Mariska has been a presenter at the Emmy Awards, she is hosting for the first time. In the past, she has been on the stage to receive the outstanding lead drama actress Emmy for SVU in 2006. Hargitay was also nominated in that category eight times from 2004 to 2011. She won a News and Documentary Emmy in 2017 as a producer on I Am Evidence. Besides this, she graced the stage to celebrate the Law & Order franchise’s 35th anniversary.Mariska has been the face of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She plays the role of Captain Olivia Benson on the long-running TV series.