Mariska Hargitay hosts the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards tonight, and she’s already made history before the show even starts. She’s the first woman to solo-host the Primetime Emmys in 15 years, since Jane Lynch in 2011. When the Los Angeles Times pointed that out, Hargitay didn’t hold back, calling the gap“unbelievable”and“ridiculous, especially with all the brilliant women out there.”
Then came the moment fans can’t stop talking about. Midway through her LA Times photo shoot, Hargitay asked,“Can you put on‘The Man’by Taylor?”The 2019 Lover track is all about gender double standards, which makes the request feel less like background music and more like a mission statement. And the Swift connection runs deep: the two are longtime friends, and Swift named her cat Olivia Benson after Hargitay’s Law&Order: SVU character.
Hargitay is only the fourth woman ever to solo-host the Primetime Emmys, and tonight she takes the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. With a Taylor Swift anthem in her back pocket and a 15-year drought behind her, it’s shaping up to be a night worth watching.
Are you tuning in to the Emmys tonight? Let us know what moment you’re most excited for.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.