Mariska Hargitay hosted the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, becoming the first woman to host the ceremony solo in 15 years. She arrived at the job already holding two new Emmys.
She won two of her own nine days earlier
At the Creative Arts ceremony on Sept. 5 and 6, Hargitay won outstanding directing for a documentary or nonfiction program and outstanding documentary or nonfiction special for “My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay,” her HBO film about her mother, the actor Jayne Mansfield.
The film received three nominations and won two, according to Yahoo Entertainment’s awards coverage. Nine days later she walked onto the same stage to hand out everyone else’s. Hargitay is an unusual choice for the job. She is not a stand-up or a variety performer. She has played Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999 — a run of more than 25 years in the same role — and won outstanding lead actress in a drama for it in 2006.
What the Television Academy handed out before Monday
More than 100 Emmy Awards had already been distributed before the main telecast, at the two-night Creative Arts gala. “Widow’s Bay” took eight. Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show won seven. “DTF St. Louis” and “The Traitors” won six apiece. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” received five in its final season.
The late Rob Reiner won a posthumous Emmy for his guest-starring role on “The Bear.” Sabrina Carpenter won her first Emmy as an executive producer and performer on “The Muppet Show,” which took outstanding variety special.
The nomination records going in
The Pitt” led all programs with 25 nominations, nearly double its 13 the previous year, per Variety. Thirteen of those were acting nods. “Hacks” followed with 24 for its fifth and final season — the most ever for a comedy series, breaking a record previously shared by “The Bear” and “The Studio” at 23 each.
First-season shows made an unusually strong showing. “Widow’s Bay” drew 19 nominations, “Pluribus” 18, “Beef” 16 and “DTF St. Louis” 13. Jean Smart entered the night positioned to win her fifth Emmy for “Hacks” and her eighth overall, which would tie her for the most Emmy acting wins by an actress in history.
A rule change that allows multiple winners
The Television Academy announced rules changes in January that reshaped one category. Outstanding variety series is now an “area” award. Nominees in area categories do not compete against one another — each is independently assessed, and any nominated show wins if at least 90% of Emmy voters answer yes when asked whether it merits an Emmy.
That means the category can produce several winners in the same year, or none. The Academy also renamed the TV movie category, which is now outstanding movie. The ceremony aired live on NBC and streamed on Peacock, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment.
