Hollywood Descends on the Peacock Theater
Television's biggest night arrived Monday, September 14, 2026, as nominees, presenters, and industry luminaries flooded the red carpet at downtown Los Angeles's Peacock Theater for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. The ceremony, airing live on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET, was hosted by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay [2], who also served as an executive producer alongside Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment [2].
The preshow — hosted by Trisha Paytas and Nicky Campbell — kicked off at 3:45 p.m. PT on NBC's TikTok page, offering fans an early look at arrivals before the main event [2].
The Nomination Landscape
Heading into the evening, HBO Max's medical drama The Pitt dominated the field with 25 nominations, followed closely by HBO Max's Hacks with 24 — a figure that made Emmy history [1]. The fifth and final season of Hacks became not only the most nominated final season of a comedy in the award show's history, but the most nominated season of a comedy ever [1].
Apple TV+'s horror-comedy Widow's Bay earned 19 nominations, while Apple TV+'s Pluribus collected 18 [2]. Netflix's Beef followed with 16, HBO Max's DTF St. Louis with 13, and both NBC's Saturday Night Live and Amazon Prime Video's Spider-Noir tied with 11 nominations apiece [2]. On the broadcast side, SNL's 11 nods led all network entries [1].
Competitive Acting Categories
The drama races are among the most closely watched of the night. Vying for best actor in a drama series are Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Mark Ruffalo (Task), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), and Noah Wyle (The Pitt) [1].
On the drama actress side, nominees include Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Chase Infiniti (The Testaments), Keri Russell (The Diplomat), Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus), and Zendaya (Euphoria) [1] — with Zendaya described as "easily among the night's most-anticipated red-carpet arrivals" [3].
The Pitt made a particularly strong showing in the supporting drama categories: Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy, and Gerran Howell are all nominated for best supporting actor in a drama, alongside Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Tom Pelphrey (Task), and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Pluribus) [1]. Four cast members from The Pitt — Taylor Deardon, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, and Sepideh Moafi — are also nominated for best supporting actress in a drama, joined by Allison Janney (The Diplomat), Julianne Nicholson (Paradise), and Karolina Wydra (Pluribus) [1].
Records Within Reach
Beyond the headline races, several individual milestones hang in the balance. Jean Smart, nominated for best actress in Hacks, and Allison Janney, nominated for best supporting actress in The Diplomat, each currently hold seven Emmy wins [3]. A victory for either would give her eight trophies, tying the all-time record for most Emmys won by a performer — a mark shared by Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus [3].
In the comedy supporting actor category, history could also be made by age. Shrinking's Harrison Ford, 84, and Widow's Bay's Stephen Root, 74, are both nominated [3]. Barry's Henry Winkler currently holds the record as the oldest actor to win the category, having claimed the trophy at age 72 in 2018 [3]. A win for either Ford or Root would reset that mark.
Colman Domingo arrives as a double nominee: best supporting actor in a comedy for The Four Seasons and best guest actor for Euphoria [3].
Fashion and Familiar Faces
The carpet drew a broad cross-section of Hollywood. Among those photographed arriving were Zendaya, Selena Gomez, Nicole Kidman, Jean Smart, Ayo Edebiri, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, Florence Pugh, Sally Field, Sarah Snook, Oscar Isaac, and Quinta Brunson, among many others [3].
Love Story co-stars Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly, who became red-carpet fixtures following the FX show's February premiere, were also among the arrivals [3]. Ayo Edebiri — vying for her second Emmy after five seasons of The Bear kept her largely in chef's whites on screen — drew attention for her off-screen style choices [3].
The Show Itself
Beyond the competitive categories, the ceremony featured a performance by Noah Kahan for the In Memoriam segment [2]. The night also included anniversary tributes: a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and a 50th anniversary salute to Charlie's Angels with original cast members Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, and Jaclyn Smith [2].
Presenters for the evening included Matthew McConaughey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Florence Pugh, Jon Hamm, Amy Poehler, Woody Harrelson, Keke Palmer, Macaulay Culkin, LL Cool J, Emma D'Arcy, Julia Garner, and Rachel Sennott, among others [2].
What to Watch
With The Pitt and Hacks positioned as the dominant forces of the night, the key questions are whether either show converts its nomination haul into wins, and whether Jean Smart or Allison Janney can claim a record eighth Emmy. Harrison Ford's potential history-making moment in the comedy supporting actor race is another storyline to track as the evening unfolds.
