The Emmy Awards 2026 will be held tonight at the Peacock Theater Downtown Los Angeles, California. On July 8, 2026, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's Mariska Hargitay was announced to be the host of this year's Emmys ceremony.It is the first time in 15 years that a woman will be hosting the Emmys, the last time being 2011, when the ceremony was hosted by Jane Lynch. Here's everything to know about Mariska Hargitay.Who is the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards 2026 host, Mariska Hargitay?Mariska Hargitay was born to Jayne Mansfield and Nelson Sardelli in 1964. However, growing up, she believed Mickey Hargitay (the man Mansfield was married to when she conceived Mariska) to be her biological father, as he was the one who raised her. It was in 2025 that the actress officially acknowledged Sardelli to be her biological father. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHargitay has been acting since 1984, her first ever role being a small character in Ghoulies. Soon, she would go on to play Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the longest-running character in American primetime history. She has also appeared as Olivia Benson in Law & Order, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Besides playing Benson, she is also known for playing Carly Fixx in Falcon Crest, Cynthia Hooper in ER, and Nina Echeverria in Prince Street. Hargitay has also produced the documentary, I Am Evidence, and directed My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.Mariska Hargitay is now going to host the Emmy Awards 2026 and will be the first woman to do so in 15 years. Hargitay has also won 2 Emmys this year. She won in the Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program category and in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category for My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHargitay's other Emmy win includes winning in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2006, for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Moreover, Hargitay has won Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama at the Golden Globes in 2005 for her SVU role. She has also won an Emmy for Best Documentary for I Am Evidence in 2019. According to the Television Academy, when announced to be the host for this year's Emmy Awards, Mariska said in a statement:“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career. It’s my great honor to host the 78th Emmy Awards — in the 100th birthday year of my beloved NBC — and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers,”She added:“Whether it’s an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us. Regardless of how, where or when we watch, we are together in our laughter, our tears, our love of stories — and our delighted anticipation to see what happens next.”We will see Mariska Hargitay host the 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony from 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.For more articles like this, follow Soapcentral.