The 2026 Emmy Awards: Everything to Know Before Tonight’s Ceremony
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air tonight, and television’s biggest night arrives with two genuinely unpredictable races at the top of the card. The Pitt and Hacks go in as the nomination leaders, Widow’s Bay is chasing a freshman-season sweep, and the Limited Series category is close enough that predictors cannot agree on a favorite. Here’s everything to know before the ceremony kicks off.
When, Where, and How to Watch
The ceremony airs tonight, September 14, at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT, broadcasting live on NBC and streaming on Peacock. It’s being held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Red carpet coverage starts at 5:00 PM ET, with E! joining the live reporting an hour later at 6:00 PM ET.
Mariska Hargitay Steps Into the Host Chair
Mariska Hargitay, best known for her 27-year run on Law & Order: SVU, is hosting the Emmys for the first time tonight, making her the first solo female host of the ceremony in 15 years since Jane Lynch in 2011. She’s been upfront that comedy isn’t her background, saying of her approach: “I think I’ll do it a little bit different than they would.”
The Drama Race: The Pitt vs. Pluribus
The Pitt leads every drama with 25 nominations, and it goes in as the favorite to repeat as Outstanding Drama Series, with Noah Wyle predicted to win Lead Actor for a second year running. The strongest threat to a clean sweep comes from Pluribus, Apple TV+’s freshman sci-fi drama, which picked up 18 nominations and has Rhea Seehorn as the predicted favorite for Lead Actress, riding the momentum of a breakout first season.
The Pitt leads all dramas with 25 nominations heading into tonight’s ceremony
The Comedy Race: Hacks Sets a Record, Widow’s Bay Leads the Predictions
Hacks closes out its final season with 24 nominations, the most any comedy series has ever received in a single year. Jean Smart is predicted to win Lead Actress for a fifth consecutive year off the strength of that farewell run. But the series itself isn’t the favorite to win Outstanding Comedy Series. That’s Widow’s Bay, which led all freshman shows with 19 nominations and swept its categories at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys, with Matthew Rhys tipped as the favorite for Lead Actor.
Hacks enters its final season with 24 nominations, a new record for a comedy series
Limited Series: A Genuine Toss-Up Between Beef and DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Limited Series is the tightest race of the night. Beef’s second season and DTF St. Louis are the two clear contenders, and predictors are split down the middle. DTF St. Louis swept the directing, writing, and supporting acting categories at the Creative Arts Emmys and has picked up momentum since, while other outlets still give Beef a narrow edge tonight. Either way, it looks like the closest category of the entire ceremony.
The ceremony kicks off in a few hours, and with three genuinely competitive races at the top of the card, tonight has more room for surprises than most recent Emmys. Gamersuniverse will be covering the winners once the show wraps.
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