Mariska Hargitay Hosts 2026 Emmys With TV Parody and AMC Spoof
Mariska Hargitay opened the 2026 Emmy Awards with a singalong, a cinema joke and a piece of hosting history.
Hargitay hosted the ceremony, becoming the first woman to host the Emmy Awards in 15 years, according to Deadline. The show aired on September 14 on NBC and Peacock, according to NBC Insider.
The night started with a pre-taped number. Hargitay led a parody of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," retitled "I Love TV Screens."
The joke was simple. Screens everywhere.
Basketball player Jalen Brunson and actor Jean Smart appeared alongside her in the tape. The segment put Hargitay in different viewing spots before she arrived on stage for the live monologue.
Once live, she turned to the movies. Hargitay recreated Nicole Kidman's well-known AMC theatre pitch, the advert about the magic of watching films in a dark room.
Kidman was in the audience. She called out the recreation as it happened, to laughs in the room.
The audience included heavyweight comedy contenders. Kristen Bell is a producer of Best Comedy Series nominee Nobody Wants This, while Quinta Brunson is a producer of Best Comedy Series nominee Abbott Elementary, according to GoldDerby.
What makes this stand out is how much Hargitay packed into a few minutes. Music, sport, comedy and film in one opening. It gave the room plenty to cheer before the first award was read.
