Mariska Hargitay has been tapped to host the 2026 Emmy Awards, making her the first woman in 15 years to earn the gig.
This is the first time Hargitay has ever hosted an awards show, and she’s the first woman to helm the Emmys since Jane Lynch in 2011.
The selection of Hargitay is also an interesting choice as it marks a clear departure from the usual awards show move of tapping a stand-up comedian, or at least a comic actor, to emcee.
While Hargitay has said she was keen on doing comedy early in her career, she rose to prominence as a dramatic actor after being cast as Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU. For her work on the show over the last 27 seasons, Hargitay has received eight Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, winning in 2006. (And SVU does air on NBC, which will broadcast the Emmys this year, too.)
“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career,” Hargitay said in a statement. “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. 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.”
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place Sept. 14, airing live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live starting at 8 p.m. ET. Nominations for the Emmys will be announced tomorrow morning, July 8, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Beyond the Emmys, Hargitay continues to star on SVU, which will begin its 28th season this fall and is on track to reach its 600th episode. Last year, she directed the documentary, My Mom Jayne, about her late mother, the actress Jayne Mansfield; and this year she made her Broadway debut in the one-person show, Every Brilliant Thing. On top of all that, Hargitay’s beloved New York Knicks just won the NBA championship.
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