2026 Emmy Awards: How To Watch The Broadcast

It's that time of the year again, folks! The 78th Emmy Awards will commence tonight, September 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific, at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater. But this year, things are just a little bit different. Five categories have been excluded from the primetime telecast to provide more time for entertainment and acceptance speeches. This has angered some folks (more on that later), but if you want to watch the trimmed awards show live, simply head to NBC or Peacock. Those who are eager to catch the red carpet event ahead of the awards can tune in to YouTube and Peacock for "Live from E! Countdown to the Emmys," which will commence at 5 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific. 

If you're only able to tune in a little later, the Associated Press' delayed feed on YouTube has you covered. There's been plenty of unflattering chatter about this year's Emmys, which started as early as July 2026, when news broke that the Television Academy's Board of Governors had decided to remove five awards from the ceremony, including supporting actor and actress for both films and TV series, writing for a variety series, limited series, or film, and directing for a film or limited series. "We're really excited to flex more creativity into the show," TV Academy chair Chris Abrego reasoned to Variety in July. 

SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and the WGA all weighed in with a statement of their own, strongly criticizing the move: "The decision to eliminate these categories from the prime-time broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning." Despite their pleas, nothing changed.

While we're selfishly excited to see which celebs land on the list of worst-dressed Emmys moments of all time, we're also looking forward to watching this year's host, Mariska Hargitay, take the stage. Earlier this year, everyone noticed how different Hargitay looked with her short hair, and we're excited to see her don the new 'do on stage tonight. The "Law & Order" star, who has undergone a stunning transformation over the years, excitedly told Forbes that she's stoked about the gig. "I'm excited that a woman is hosting," she enthused. "I'm excited that we're trying to, you know, level the scales a little bit because they have been out of whack. So I'm honored to contribute to that." 

While Emmy hosts traditionally have some experience with hosting, Hargitay was chosen not for her comedic chops, but for her persona and public allure. NBCUniversal's TV Chair, Pearlena Igbokwe, asserted to Variety that Hargitay was the natural choice for what they wanted this year's host to be. "My team was trying to figure out who embodies television, engenders goodwill, and everyone will want to come watch them. And when we got to Mariska, we all looked at each other: Yeah, absolutely," she explained, adding that they expect many to tune in just to watch the "Law & Order" legend. 

"We're in the Mariska renaissance. It's been the year of Mariska!" Igbokwe declared. Hargitay herself admitted to Variety that she initially wasn't keen to accept the gig — the actor had plans to rest and recuperate, and her friends all advised her to give it a hard pass. Luckily, the TV icon's love of television is what ultimately made Hargitay decide to go for it, and tonight, we all get to watch her shine.