Actress and executive producer Mariska Hargitay, best known for playing Olivia Benson in the long-running series Law & Order: SVU, will host the 78th Emmy Awards, broadcaster NBC has announced.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14 and will be broadcast live on NBC. It will also stream on Peacock.
In a statement, Hargitay said hosting the ceremony during NBC's centenary year was a special honour.
“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.
“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,” she added.
“Mariska has earned her place among television's icons. Few performers have left the kind of mark on television that Mariska has. For 27 seasons, she has brought strength, compassion and humanity to one of the most beloved characters on TV,” Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events & Specials, NBC & Peacock, praised Hargitay’s contribution to television.
“As NBC celebrates 100 years of unforgettable storytelling, we can't think of anyone more fitting to help celebrate the incredible legacy of television,” Neal added.
Television Academy chair Chris Abrego also welcomed Hargitay as the host of this year's ceremony: “Mariska is one of television's most beloved stars, whose talent, authenticity and extraordinary connection with audiences have made her an enduring force in our industry and in culture... We're so delighted to have her join us as the host of this year's Emmys telecast and know that she will create an unforgettable evening honoring the very best of television”.
Hargitay has played Olivia Benson since Law & Order: SVU premiered in 1999. The police procedural is set to return for its 28th season this fall. She has received multiple nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Emmys and won the award in 2006.
The nominations for the 2026 Emmy Awards are scheduled to be announced on Wednesday.