Additional source coverage has confirmed NBC's selection of Mariska Hargitay, the acclaimed "Law & Order: SVU" star and executive producer, to host the 78th Emmy Awards ceremony on 8 September. The choice matters because it breaks with recent tradition for television's most prestigious awards show, placing a performer known chiefly for drama rather than comedy in the emcee role for the live broadcast.

Hargitay's appointment is a milestone in Emmy history: she is the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years, following Jane Lynch in 2011. Her selection also marks a shift in casting practice, as she becomes the first host whose primary career identity does not centre on comedy since 2008.