Emmy Awards organizers have already revealed who will host the 2026 ceremony. The newly announced host is set to make history in two ways ahead of the September ceremony.
Who is the 2026 Emmy Awards host?
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay will lead the 78th Emmy Awards ceremony. The actress will make her debut as an Emmy host on September 14, 2026.
She is set to make history as the first female host of the television awards show in 15 years, since Jane Lynch hosted the ceremony in 2011. She will also be the first actress, since Angela Lansbury in 1993, who is not a comedian, a comedy actor, or a TV and reality host, marking another milestone in her career.
The broadcast will be shown live coast-to-coast on NBC, which will also mark the broadcast network’s 100th anniversary. It will also be streamed on Peacock from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live.
As per Deadline, Hargitay stated, “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.”
The actress has been part of the Law & Order franchise since it premiered in 1999 and has played Captain Olivia Benson. This role has earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, among other nominations. She also appeared as Captain Benson in the special episodes of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire.
She has also served as the Director and Executive Producer of the drama, which is returning for Season 28 in October 2026. Her other acting credits include Lake Placid, The Perfect Weapon, Night Sins, and Finish Line. She has also directed My Mom Jayne, a documentary on her mother and Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield.
The nominations for the 2026 Emmys will be announced on July 8 on Emmys.com.
