Emmys 2026 Review: Mariska Hargitay's Shaky Stint As Host Kicks Off A Badly Paced Night — Grade It!

Mariska Hargitay hosted the Emmys, marking a return to form for the awards show after a previous year's "unmitigated disaster" with host Nate Bargatze, according to Variety. This year's ceremony was described as "effusive, yet efficient" by Variety, while TVLine found it "rushed" with "limp" jokes.

The show featured cameos from sports stars, movie stars, and music stars, including Taylor Swift. TVLine noted that the ceremony seemed to prioritize distractions over celebrating the best in TV.

Mariska Hargitay's hosting was unconventional, as the job is typically held by comedians and talk show hosts. Her opening number, set to Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," included dancing TV sets behind her, which TVLine described as "cringe-worthy." Despite this, Variety portrayed the event as a successful tribute to television. Apple TV's "Widow's Bay" won six awards, including best comedy series, according to TVLine.

Brief written by urgent.news from Variety, TVLine — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.