Emmys 2026
The Law & Order: SVU star will be the first woman to emcee the show since Jane Lynch in 2011
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 past 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.)
