The biggest night in television is nearly here. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place Monday night, and the competition this year is fierce. HBO’s medical drama “The Pitt” leads the pack with a whopping 25 nominations, followed closely by fellow HBO hit comedy “Hacks,” which earned 24 nominations. Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” also racked up an impressive 19 nods across the comedy categories for its first season. Apple TV’s drama “Pluribus” scored 18 nominations, while limited series “Beef” landed 16 and “DTF St. Louis” rounded out the top contenders with 13.
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, Sept. 14, live in Los Angeles, according to the New York Daily News. The ceremony will be available to stream on Peacock. The Television Academy says the show begins at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater.
Mariska Hargitay is hosting this year’s Emmy Awards, according to a report from today.com. The 62-year-old primetime star has portrayed Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: SVU” since its debut in 1999. She will be the first woman in 15 years to host the Emmy Awards alone. Before her, Jane Lynch flew solo back in 2011.
Hargitay has already won two Creative Arts Emmys for her deeply-personal film “My Mom Jayne,” about her mother, screen legend Jayne Mansfield. She also took home Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program at the Creative Arts Emmys. This makes her a three-time Primetime Emmy winner.
Hargitay said the idea of hosting the major award show took her a minute to process. She recalled that she was so incredibly honored and, again, knowing that it’s the first woman was absolutely thrilling.
“The Pitt” is expected to be a standout at the awards show this year, though it is facing some stiff competition from Apple TV’s rookie series, “Pluribus,” in the drama series race, while Noah Wyle faces Sterling K. Brown for “Paradise,” Gary Oldman for “Slow Horses,” Mark Ruffalo for “Task” and Rufus Sewell for “The Diplomat” in the lead actor category. Noah Wyle already has one Emmy for his role as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on “The Pitt,” and it appears he is poised to win another. Wyle’s co-stars also earned nods this year, including Shawn Hatosy, Gerran Howell, and Patrick Ball for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category is similarly crowded with “Pitt” stars, among them Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi. Wyle also picked up nominations for directing and producing the hit HBO series.
“Hacks” fifth and final season is a strong contender for an acting Emmy win, with 75-year-old Smart poised to make history if she takes home the trophy. She would become the first woman in television history to win an acting Emmy for every single eligible season of a series. Other nominees include Quinta Brunson for “Abbott Elementary,” Ayo Edebiri for “The Bear,” Elle Fanning in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and Lisa Kudrow in “The Comeback,” which also aired its final season this year. The Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category is likely to go one of two ways. Smart’s potential achievement is actually even broader than stated. Reuters reports she would become the first performer to win for every season of a television show’s run.
Reba McEntire will help honor the late Dolly Parton at the 2026 Emmy Awards, justjared.com reported. The 71-year-old country music icon is set to take the stage during the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday night (September 14) for a special tribute celebrating Dolly and her legacy. The performance comes less than a month after Dolly passed away at the age of 80 on August 25. Reba and Dolly were longtime friends and collaborators, and they most recently appeared together on a new version of Dolly’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” released in 2026.
Dolly had a lengthy history with television in addition to her legendary music career. She hosted two different variety series, beginning with the syndicated Dolly! in 1976 and later starring in ABC’s Dolly in 1987. She also appeared in numerous television specials throughout her career, including Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember with Kenny Rogers. Behind the scenes, Dolly co-founded Sandollar Productions, which went on to produce shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel.
Dolly Parton’s Emmy-Winning Television Legacy includes five Emmy nominations throughout her career, winning Outstanding Television Movie in 2021 as an executive producer of the Netflix movie Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. Reba McEntire Paid Tribute to Dolly After Her Passing. The Television Academy confirms Parton received five Primetime Emmy nominations and one win.
The show will be broadcast on NBC and will stream live and on demand on Peacock, as well. Some of the stars who will be presenters include Odessa A’zion, David Boreanaz, Linda Cardellini, Macaulay Culkin, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Marcello Hernández, Kate Jackson, Peter Krause, Cheryl Ladd, Dan Levy, Julianna Margulies, Annie Murphy, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amanda Peet, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh, Rachel Sennott, Jaclyn Smith and Zendaya. That presenter list matches the Television Academy’s announcement.
The Television Academy announced in July that Mariska Hargitay will emcee the event. Nominations were first revealed on July 8, with TODAY sharing the nominees for outstanding variety series and outstanding reality competition program. After all the categories were announced, “The Pitt” led with 25 nominations. “Hacks” closely followed with 24 nods, which set a record in the comedy category. Rounding out the top three was series “Widow’s Bay” with 19 nominations. There were also 28 actors who received their first-ever Emmy nominations. Some of them have already added “Emmy winner” to their resume, after taking home an award at the Creative Arts Emmys. Soon, more stars will be presented with the golden statue. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the 2026 Emmys.
IMAGE: en:Mariska Hargitay, star of SVU. Photo: veronica Romm from fort lee, USA / Wikimedia, taken 2007-05-01, CC BY 2.0