Mariska Hargitay hosted the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026, opening the ceremony with jokes about Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Dick Wolf , Nicole Kidman , and Jalen Brunson . The 62 year old Emmy winner turned her crime show credentials into a full comedy routine, complete with a musical sketch and pointed jabs at television royalty. The opening began with a prerecorded segment featuring Brunson, the New York Knicks star and reigning NBA champion. Hargitay joked about the pressure of hosting before taking a flight to Los Angeles, where a Joan Jett soundtrack carried her through references to shows including Abbott Elementary, The Pitt, Slow Horses, and Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Mariska Hargitay Was Not Playing It Safe Once Hargitay reached the stage, the SVU lead teased Martin Short over his disturbing guest role on the series. Hargitay also credited Wolf with creating more than 40 shows, including 13 that were on the air at the time, then joked that his name was actually Richard Penis. Hargitay also poked fun at her 27 seasons on SVU by saying she did not know how to pronounce the word finale because she had never had one. When Kidman tried to reclaim a bit from her AMC Theatres monologue, Hargitay fired back that it was television's night, while her husband Peter Hermann and their sons, August and Andrew, watched from the audience.