The Best and Worst Moments From the 2026 Emmys

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on Monday night, marked by a mix of wins and losses, and several unexpected moments. Host Mariska Hargitay kicked off the show with a musical number, riffing on "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" as she traveled from New York to Los Angeles. The opening musical number was lackluster, featuring numerous cameos of nominees, but Hargitay's subsequent monologue helped to elevate the energy.

Jean Smart made history by winning her fifth consecutive Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award for her role in "Hacks". She now shares the record for the most acting wins in primetime Emmy history with eight, alongside Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Smart dedicated her award to the show's creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky, and Paul W. Downs.

John Mulaney provided much-needed levity during the event, particularly during the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award presentation. He referred to the nominees as a "crop of prom kings" and mocked method actors as well as the influence of billion-dollar streaming platforms. Mulaney cleverly included a subtle joke about DJ Khaled, which was muted by NBC's standards and practices.

Throughout the show, references to Hargitay's long-running role on "Law and Order: SVU" became repetitive and lost their impact. The host's jokes about not understanding what was happening in the show seemed forced and began to lose their effectiveness. As the night progressed, the repetitiveness of the SVU references began to weigh down the overall enjoyment of the event.