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.
