Summary

  • Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay is set to host TV's biggest night, the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards

  • Stars will soon begin arriving to walk the red carpet at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles - the awards show kicks off at 17:00 local time (20:00 EDT/01:00 BST)

  • Leading the pack in nominations this year is the medical drama The Pitt, which is up for 25 awards - read more about the show here

  • Following close behind is the comedy series Hacks, while newcomer Widow's Bay has clocked 19 nods - check out the other Emmy nominees here

  • Some of the British stars in the running tonight include Matthew Rhys (nominated twice), Riz Ahmed, Carey Mulligan, Gary Oldman and Rufus Sewell

Watch: What to expect at tonight's Emmy Awards

Live Reporting

Edited by Oliver O'Connell with Nardine Saad, Regan Morris and David Willis reporting from Los Angeles

  1. Nominees, presenters and other stars walk the blue carpet

    Emmy-nominated stars are arriving alongside actors who will be presenting at this evening's ceremony, including Sarah Michelle Gellar and LL Cool J.

    Rossum, with dark curly hair and red lipstick, looking away from cameraGetty Images

    Emmy Rossum, who stars in Hulu's Furious, is presenting at tonight's ceremony

    Fanning wearing a seafoam green silky dressVariety via Getty Images

    Elle Fanning is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Apple TV's Margo's Got Money Troubles

    Gellar wearing hot pink silky dress smiling up at BoreanazAFP via Getty Images

    Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, who starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will be presenting tonight.

    Cuoco, who is pregnant, wearing a pale pink dress standing next to Pelphrey, wearing a black tuxGetty Images

    Kaley Cuoco, who stars in MGM's Vanished, arrives with her partner Tom Pelphrey, who is nominated for his role in HBO's Task

    LL Cool J wearing a silky dark blue suit and paperboy hat, putting his hand up to saluteReuters

    LL Cool J, star of NCIS: New York, will be presenting tonight

  2. The Pitt star Noah Wyle arrives for what could be a big night

    All eyes will be on Noah Wyle and the rest of the cast and crew of The Pitt, the smash-hit medical drama that has 25 nominations, tonight.

    Wyle, who is nominated in acting and producing categories, took home an Emmy last year for his portrayal of Dr Michael "Robby" Robinavitch. While he was nominated for his earlier work on another medical drama, ER, he never won an Emmy during his run on that series.

    Actor Noah Wyle of The Pitt and his wife Sara Wells on the blue carpet.Getty Images

    Actor Noah Wyle of The Pitt and his wife Sara Wells, who is also an actor and has appeared in the hit medical drama

  3. Will Colbert be recognised for his last season of The Late Show?

    Nardine Saad
    at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards

    Stephen Colbert on the set of his CBS series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Getty Images

    Stephen Colbert on the set of his CBS series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

    The Late Show went off the air in May, ending the late-night chat show's 33-year run on CBS, as well as Stephen Colbert's 11-year stint as its host.

    The comedian is up against ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live - whose host has repeatedly sparred with the Trump administration - HBO’s perennial Emmy winner Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Comedy Central’s late-night vehicle The Daily Show and NBC’s long-running variety series Saturday Night Live.

    If the category sounds stacked with heavyweights, that's because it is. This year the Television Academy combined its talk series and scripted variety series contenders, bringing several repeat nominees and winners into the fold.

    Since it became eligible for the Emmys in 2016, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has been nominated nearly every year since. It won for outstanding talk series for the first time last year after Colbert's fellow late-night hosts rallied behind him on the heels of CBS announcing the show would end.

    It remains to be seen if history will repeat itself tonight, but it's worth pointing out that the final season has already picked up six wins at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Award, which were held last weekend.

  4. 'It's a good year for the Welsh' - The Pitt star Gerran Howell tells BBC as he arrives

    Regan Morris
    Reporting from the Emmys red carpet

    Gerran Howell holds a mic on the red carpet as he speaks to the BBC

    The Pitt star Gerran Howell stopped to chat with us as he arrived.

    "It's a good year for the Welsh," Howell told me. "I feel great."

    Fellow Welsh actor Matthew Rhys has been nominated for two series - Widow's Bay and The Beast in Me.

    Howell noted that The Pitt, which is nominated for 25 awards, is now available to watch in the UK.

    "It seems to be going down well," he said of the show's reception back home. "I'm getting a lot of messages from family saying they're traumatised, so that's great. We've done our job."

  5. More stars on the blue carpet

    Alan Cummings seated with one hand on his cheek on a stage at the blue carpet of the Emmy AwardsNBC via Getty Images

    British actor and The Traitors host Alan Cummings has already been announced as the winner of Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program

    Selena Gomez, wearing a gold strapless dress, arrives to the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock TheaterNBC via Getty Images

    Selena Gomez is nominated for her executive producer role in Hulu's Only Murders In The Building

    Kristen Bell wearing an ivory colored dressNBC via Getty Images

    Kristen Bell is executive producer for the Emmy-nominated comedy series Nobody Wants This

    Lisa Kudrow wearing a black gownGetty Images

    Lisa Kudrow is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series category and for writing for the series The Comeback

  6. Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell arrive

    Actors Matthew Rhys and partner Keri Russell, who met while portraying spies in the Emmy-recognised series The Americans, have arrived on the blue carpet.

    Rhys is nominated for both his roles in Widow's Bay and The Beast in Me while Russell - who has never taken home an Emmy - is nominated for her starring turn in The Diplomat.

    Earlier, the BBC asked Rhys whether he would rather win an Emmy or a BAFTA Cymru. You can see his answer here.

    Rhys and Russell smiling on the blue carpet, both wearing all blackGetty Images

  7. Your guide to the 2026 Emmys: The moments that could make TV history

    Quinta Brunson is seen in a sparkly dress, up close, smilingGetty Images

    Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson could make history tonight if she wins again for outstanding lead actress in a comedy

    The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards gets under way in about an hour, so you don't have much time to brush up on your American TV history.

    But you can refer back to this guide throughout the evening to keep across any possible history-making moments:

    • Most acting Emmys record up for grabs: Hacks star Jean Smart and The Diplomat star Alison Janney could both tie the record for the most acting Emmys ever won by a performer; Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus currently hold the record with eight.
    • Smart could make history in another way: If she wins lead comedy actress again, she'll become the first star to go undefeated five times in a row, for each season of a show
    • Other historic firsts for female performers: Quinta Brunson winning outstanding lead actress in a comedy series tonight would make her the first black actress in history to carry the category twice. And if 30-year-old Zendaya wins outstanding lead actress in a drama series, for her role in Euphoria, she'll become the youngest actress and first black actress to win the award three times
    • Widow's Bay star Matthew Rhys could become the first Welsh actor to win outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, but if Colman Domingo bests him for his performance in Four Seasons, he'll be the first Afro-Latino actor to take home that Emmy. Jack Lowden could become the first Scottish actor to win best lead actor in a drama series
    • Big laughs could bring big records: Widow's Bay goes into tonight's show with eight Emmys collected at the Creative Arts ceremony. It'll need to win at least five of its seven nominations tonight to beat The Studio's record for the most Emmy wins by a comedy in a single year

  8. Hacks star dresses as golden Emmy award

    Comedian and actress Megan Stalter graced the carpet in gold dressed as an Emmy trophy.

    Stalter is nominated tonight for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Kayla in the HBO Max comedy Hacks.

    She was escorted by Hacks co-creator Paul W. Downs, who is nominated for three Emmy awards.

    Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs at the 78th Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images

  9. More nominees filing in ahead of show

    Stars from this year's top shows, including Jason Segel of Shrinking and Katherine LaNasa from The Pitt, are filing in ahead of the award show.

    (L-R) Kayla Radomski and Jason Segel, who is nominated for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, attend the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.Getty Images

    (L-R) Kayla Radomski and Jason Segel, who is nominated for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, attend the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

    Katherine LaNasa attends the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images

    Katherine LaNasa is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role in The Pitt.

    RuPaul, Law Roach, Ts Madison and Jamal Sims at the 78th Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images

    RuPaul, Law Roach, Ts Madison and Jamal Sims of RuPaul’s Drag Race pose on the blue carpet together. The show received 11 nominations this year.

    John Oliver arrives to the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026.Getty Images

    John Oliver and his show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver received several nominations for this year's Emmy Awards.

    "The Daily Show" News Team attends the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)Getty Images

    The news team at "The Daily Show", which earned seven nominations this year.

  10. Host Mariska Hargitay and other stars arrive

    More big names are arriving on the Emmys blue carpet, including host and actress Mariska Hargitay, and the stars of shows nominated for awards.

    Hargitay wearing bright red dress, with three children and husbandGetty Images

    Emmys host Mariska Hargitay arrives with her husband and three children

    Domingo posing on the blue carpet wearing a salmon-coloured suit jacket and white silky pantsVariety via Getty Images

    Colman Domingo is nominated for his roles in Netflix’s The Four Seasons and HBO's Euphoria

    Nixon wearing a flowing purple dressVariety via Getty Images

    Cynthia Nixon stars alongside Denée Benton in The Gilded Age

    Benton wearing a black skirt was long dragging train and a black bandeau topWireImage via Getty Images

    Denée Benton stars in HBO's The Gilded Age, which is nominated for eight Emmys

    Hiller wearing a black suit with gold decals on itNBC via Getty Images

    Jeff Hiller stars in both Apple TV shows Widow's Bay and Pluribus, and is nominated for his role in Pluribus

  11. Nominees stroll the blue carpet

    This year's Emmy nominees have begun to arrive on the blue carpet, from Adam Brody of Nobody Wants This to Krys Marshall from Paradise.

    Krys Marshall, who plays a Secret Service special agent in the Hulu political thriller series Paradise, poses on the blue carpet donning a red dress.Getty Images

    Krys Marshall, who plays a Secret Service special agent in the Hulu political thriller series Paradise, poses on the blue carpet.

    Adam Brody on the blue carpet.Getty Images

    Adam Brody is nominated for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for Nobody Wants This.

    Niecy Nash-Betts, right, from All's Fair and wife Jessica Betts, left, have arrived on the blue carpet.Getty Images

    Niecy Nash-Betts, right, from All's Fair and wife Jessica Betts, left, have arrived on the blue carpet.

    (L-R) Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter, who starred in the Parent Trap together in in 1998, attend the Emmys.Getty Images

    (L-R) Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter, who starred in the Parent Trap together in in 1998, attend the Emmys.

    Connor Hines is seen in a gray striped suitGetty Images

    Connor Hines, executive producer of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, arrives at the Emmys.

    US actress Grace Gummer of Love Story and husband British musician Mark Ronson arrive.Getty Images

    US actress Grace Gummer of Love Story and husband British musician Mark Ronson arrive.

  12. Welsh actor Gerran Howell: Brits shocked by US healthcare system shown in The Pitt

    David Willis and Regan Morris

    Gerran Howell speaking to the BBC at an Emmys pre-party, with a blue step and repeat in the background

    Gerran Howell speaking to the BBC at an Emmys pre-party

    Welsh actor Gerran Howell, who does a convincing American accent as Dr Dennis Whitaker on the buzzy medical drama The Pitt, says members of the medical community have been the show's biggest fans.

    “It's taken off," Howell told the BBC at a pre-Emmys party. "It's become a real word-of-mouth thing. It's amazing."

    And, he added, he's grateful it has recently become available to audiences back home in the UK.

    Howell says the The Pitt's reputation for showing the realities of an American emergency department in action have fascinated British audiences and healthcare workers.

    "I think the medical communities are very different," he says. "I'd like to think of it as maybe a bit of a cautionary tale for our system, however different it is from the American system."

    He adds that he knows many Americans are envious of Britain’s free national healthcare.

    “A lot British people are very shocked seeing the American healthcare system," he says. "But you know, we've got our faults too.”

  13. A glimpse at the Hollywood machine backstage

    Nardine Saad
    at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards

    A large Emmy Awards statue sits in front of a table of small trophies at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.Nardine Saad / BBC

    The entrance to the Emmys media centre at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles

    Droves of celebrity handlers dressed in black - from security to publicists - are posted throughout the complex named LA Live where the Emmys are taking place. The ceremony is mostly confined to the Peacock Theater and blue carpet leading to its doors, but the set-up around it is vast.

    I'm in the media centre in the JW Marriott hotel waiting for this year's winners to come back and address the press with their trophies in hand. Already, this ballroom, which has been converted into a journalist's workspace, has plenty of celebrities and their teams milling about for before-show interviews, getting their portraits taken for the Emmy magazine or reuniting with cast-mates they haven't seen since they wrapped filming.

    I just saw Matty Matheson, the chef who was a consultant on The Bear and who became a fan favourite, as well as the cast of Hacks, make their way through the building.

    The sheer number of people here for the festivities - whether they're working or guests - is a gleaming example of just how much the entertainment industry gives this city its heartbeat.

  14. Paradise director looks to make Emmys history

    David Willis and Regan Morris
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    Hanelle Culpepper, wearing a red floral top, speaking into a microphone

    Hanelle Culpepper is nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for her work on the political thriller Paradise and if she wins, she will make history.

    “If I won, it would be very meaningful because I'll be the first black woman to win in this category,” she told us at a pre-ceremony party hosted by BAFTA.

    “And hopefully that just helps to continue to pave that path that has already been laid before me so that it's easier for everyone coming behind me.”

    Culpepper says it’s hard for everyone to make it in Hollywood, but for women and people of colour, mistakes can be more difficult to overcome and there's no room for being mediocre. If a female-directed film performs poorly at the box office, for example, women directors are often blamed as a whole.

    “My goal has always been just to give my A-plus game so that I can't be the excuse for someone not to hire another woman or another person of colour,” she said.

  15. Some of The Pitt's biggest fans are real-life doctors

    Hugh Pym
    Health editor

    A woman and man in a puffy coat enter into a hospital. They are holding coffee cups in their hands and look serious and tired.Warner Brothers

    Gerran Howell (right) is a British actor nominated for an outstanding supporting actor award at the Emmys

    It's a familiar sight - a crowded waiting room, trolleys in corridors, stressed doctors and nurses. But this isn't a typical A&E unit in the NHS. It's a Hollywood set with actors recreating the drama of an emergency department for TV series The Pitt.

    And among its biggest fans are real-life doctors.

    "We finally feel validated for everything we go through every day," says Dr Tony Cirillo, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

    On Monday, The Pitt could become this year's most decorated series at the Emmys, with 25 nominations.

    Doctors and others in the medical profession say, for them, it's the most realistic medical drama yet - which is why they love it.

    "The Pitt is more than just a good TV show," Cirillo says. "The term I use is validation."

    Read my full report on why doctors and nurses think The Pitt is not only "watchable" but also "relatable".

  16. Analysis

    The steady climb of streamers at awards shows, explained

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment reporter

    The cast of Ted Lasso stand on stage at the 2021 Emmys and hold their four awards. Jason Sudekis stands in the middle in a blue suit, while his co-stars smile looking on.Getty Images

    In 2021, Apple's Ted Lasso broke records as the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history with its first series

    Given the huge changes in the entertainment landscape over the last two decades, it’s no surprise that the Emmy nominations are once again dominated by streaming services.

    You’re far more likely to see a Netflix or Apple show cropping up these days than TV shows that are broadcast the old-fashioned way - once a week, in a scheduled time slot.

    That’s not to say there aren’t shows from traditional broadcasters being recognised at this year's awards show. School-based comedy Abbott Elementary is nominated across multiple categories and has won a couple of big prizes in the past.

    But traditional shows often find it harder to build awards momentum. Streamers have the luxury of choosing how many episodes they make per season and can whip up enough anticipation to make their release feel like a real event.

    Shows such as Abbott Elementary, in contrast, are often obligated to churn out 20 to 25 episodes per season in order to fill the broadcast schedules. That means they arguably spread themselves more thinly, and don’t ignite the same must-watch passion in fans.

  17. How to watch the Emmy Awards

    As we've been reporting, the ceremony is due to get under way in the next couple of hours, kicking off at 17:00 local time (20:00 EDT). It will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

    US viewers can watch the Emmy Awards live on NBC or on streaming service Peacock.

    In the UK, it will start at 01:00 BST on Tuesday morning, but no British broadcaster is scheduled to show it live.

    However, there will be overnight coverage on the BBC News website - including right here - throughout the red carpet and ceremony.

    We'll be bringing you live updates on this page until the last statue is handed out, as well as analysis about the night's upsets and surprises.

  18. What's with the 100 next to the Emmys logo?

    Sareen Habeshian
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    It's only the 78th Emmys tonight, so what's with the 100 figure next to the Emmys logo?

    That's marking the centenary anniversary of NBC - the broadcaster of the 2026 Emmys.

    NBC aired its first radio broadcast on November 15, 1926 - almost 100 years before today's award show.

    Abby Elliott arrives to the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater, standing in front of a 100 sign.NBC via Getty Images

    Abby Elliott arrives to the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

  19. Would Matthew Rhys rather win an Emmy or BAFTA Cymru?

    BBC Wales News

    Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who stars in Widow's Bay and The Beast in Me, is nominated for his work in both shows at tonight's Emmys.

    But, when asked if he would rather win an Emmy or a BAFTA Cymru - the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - he tells the BBC without hesitation it would be the latter.

    “Home audiences are always the one you want to please the most, always,” Rhys says.

    Would Matthew Rhys rather an Emmy or BAFTA Cymru?

  20. Los Angeles brings the heat for the Emmys

    Regan Morris
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    Everyone is sweltering on the Emmy’s blue carpet today, with the afternoon temperature reaching 85F (29C),

    Fans are the must-have accessory. I was expecting a tented, air conditioned carpet and didn’t bring one.

    We are all feeling sorry for men wearing tuxedos. Everyone is sweating. Even though there's some cold air blowing onto the carpet, the stars are dripping as they arrive and stop and talk - almost as much as the media on the wrong side of the air conditioners' blast.

    A fan is pictured on the Emmy's blue carpet