Olivia Benson is officially taking over television’s biggest night
Mariska Hargitay has been revealed as host of the 78th Emmy Awards — and yes, television’s forever Olivia Benson is about to command a very different kind of room.
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star will lead the ceremony live on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE, airing coast-to-coast on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Hargitay also makes a little Emmy history in the process: she becomes the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years, following Jane Lynch’s 2011 turn as emcee.
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Mariska Takes the Emmys
After decades of owning NBC primetime as Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay gets the keys to television’s biggest awards night.
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Fifteen years is a long time to wait for another woman host
The last woman to host the Emmys was Jane Lynch in 2011, which makes Hargitay’s appointment feel bigger than a routine hosting announcement.
It is also a particularly NBC choice. Hargitay has spent more than two decades anchoring one of the network’s defining franchises, turning Olivia Benson into one of television’s most enduring characters while also working as a director and producer.
NBC is making Hargitay part of its own 100th birthday celebration
The hosting gig arrives during NBC’s 100th birthday year, something Hargitay acknowledged directly in the announcement. She called it a “great honor” to host while celebrating the broader television community of actors, directors, costumers, sound designers and everyone else who helps put the medium together.
Television Academy chair Cris Abrego likewise described Hargitay as one of television’s most beloved stars, while NBC positioned her long relationship with the network as a natural fit for the anniversary-year telecast.
The 78th Emmys air live September 14 on NBC and Peacock
The main telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with NBC carrying the ceremony live coast-to-coast and Peacock streaming it live as well.
Watch Mariska Hargitay’s 2026 Emmys Host Announcement
The announcement confirms Hargitay as host of the 78th Emmy Awards ahead of the September 14 NBC and Peacock telecast.
Sources: Television Academy; NBCUniversal.
