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One of the most recognizable faces in television will serve as host of the 78th Emmy Awards in September.
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay will host the awards, which are set to air Sept. 14 on NBC. Hargitay is going into her 28th season as the star of SVU, which airs on NBC and is the longest-running primetime drama in American TV history.
She’ll also be the first host who’s not primarily known for their comedic work in almost two decades. The last time the Emmys had a host who wasn’t a comedian or comic actor was in 2008, when the five nominees for best reality host (Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst and Ryan Seacrest) shared emcee duties.
“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.”
