2026 Emmys: When is the ceremony, how to watch, what to know about nominees
Television's biggest stars are gearing up for the 2026 Emmy Awards.
The 78th Emmy Awards will celebrate the best shows and performances from the past year, with some of television's biggest names competing for top honors.
Here's everything to know about the 2026 Emmys, including when and how to watch, who's hosting and who's nominated.
When are the 2026 Emmys?
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, Sept. 14, at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will air live coast-to-coast on NBC.
The awards will also stream live and on demand on Peacock.
Who is hosting the 2026 Emmys?
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star Mariska Hargitay will host this year's Emmy Awards.
Hargitay, who has starred as Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU" since 1999, is an Emmy winner herself, having won outstanding lead actress in a drama series for the role in 2006.
She will become the first woman to host the Emmy Awards solo in 15 years.
Who is nominated for the 2026 Emmys?
"The Pitt" leads all programs with 25 nominations, including outstanding drama series and outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Noah Wyle.
"Hacks" follows with 24 nominations, setting a record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year.
Other top-nominated shows include "Widow's Bay" with 19 nominations, "Pluribus" with 18 and "Beef" with 16.
This year's nominees also include 28 first-time performer nominees.
Click here to see the full list of 2026 Emmy nominees.
Who won Emmys already at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards?
Several stars have already taken home Emmys following the two-night Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 5 and 6.
Sabrina Carpenter won her first Emmy as an executive producer and performer on "The Muppet Show," which won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
The late Rob Reiner won outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role as Albert on "The Bear."
Hargitay, took home two Emmys for her HBO documentary, "My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay," winning outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program and outstanding documentary or nonfiction special.
Bad Bunny also became a first-time Emmy winner as his Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show won seven awards, including outstanding variety special (live).
Other winners included Alan Cumming, who won outstanding host for a reality or reality competition program for "The Traitors," and Jimmy Kimmel, who won outstanding host for a game show for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
Who is presenting at the 2026 Emmys?
Presenters for the 78th Emmy Awards ceremony on Sept. 14 have not yet been announced.
This story will be updated when presenters are announced.
What else is new at the 2026 Emmys?
The Television Academy made several changes to this year's Emmy Awards.
The outstanding scripted variety series and outstanding talk series categories were combined into a single outstanding variety series category following a decline in submissions in both categories in recent years.
The outstanding television movie category was also renamed outstanding movie, while changes were made to several other categories, including short form, sound mixing and music.
The Television Academy also introduced the Legacy Award this year to recognize television programs that have made a lasting impact on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry.
"I Love Lucy" became the first program to receive the honor during the Sept. 6 Emmy ceremony.
