The Emmys: History Was Made and Taylor Swift Made a Cameo

Mariska Hargitay performs during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 14, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The Celebrity Beat…

Mariska Hargitay hosted The Emmys last night.  She was the first woman to do it in 15 years.  Apple TV led with 28 wins, and 14 of those went to “Widow’s Bay”, which set a new record for most won by a comedy series.

Here are the highlights:

1.  Mariska’s pre-recorded opening segment included a cameo from NY Knicks star Jalen Brunson, as she sang a parody of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” called “I Love TV Screens”.

2.  Nicole Kidman playfully argued with Mariska during her opening monologue, when she tried to recreate Nicole’s AMC ad.

3.  Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz mocked the cancellation of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sequel series that was in development earlier this year by saying that fans will never know if Buffy and Angel ended up together.

4.  Nick Offerman joked his first job was an erotic house painter.

5.  Taylor Swift made a cameo in a pre-recorded “Law & Order” sketch where Detective Olivia Benson and the team tried to figure out if Taylor would be at the Emmys.  Taylor’s cat Olivia Benson made an appearance, too.

6.  Jean Smart made history with her win for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for “Hacks” Season 5.  She’s the first woman to win an Emmy for every season of a show.

7.  Allison Janney and Jean both won their eighth career Emmy, which puts them in a four-way tie for the all-time record for most acting wins.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman also have eight.

8.  Matthew Rhys became the first person to win Best Lead Actor in all three genres.  He previously won for Drama for “The Americans”, and last night he won for Comedy for “Widow’s Bay” and Limited Series for “The Beast in Me”.

9.  Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation as he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

10.  Sally Field honored Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire performed a cover of “Appalachian Memories”.

11.  Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, Dan Levy honored their “mom” Catherine O’Hara to introduce the “In Memoriam“ segment. Noah Kahan performed Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Chuck Norris was notably absent for the “In Memoriam”. Here’s who else got left out.

12.  Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and Cheryl Ladd reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Charlie’s Angels”.