The 78th Emmy Awards took over the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles Monday night, with Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay hosting television’s biggest night.
Didn’t watch? Here are the highlights you need to know.
The Pitt and Widow’s Bay Take the Top Prizes
The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row, with Noah Wyle also repeating his win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Widow’s Bay was the biggest winner of the telecast with six awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Matthew Rhys made Emmy history by winning two lead-actor awards in the same year — for Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me.
Sally Field Makes Emmy History
Sally Field won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures. At 79, Field became the oldest winner in the history of the category.
Dolly Parton Remembered
One of the night’s most touching moments honored Dolly Parton.
Sally Field, who starred alongside Parton in Steel Magnolias, helped celebrate her longtime friend and co-star before Reba McEntire performed Parton’s “Appalachian Memories.”
Michael J. Fox Honored
Michael J. Fox received one of the night’s biggest standing ovations as he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
Fox was recognized for his decades of advocacy and fundraising for Parkinson’s disease research through The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Taylor Swift Joins the SVU Squad — Sort Of
One of the night’s funniest surprises came courtesy of Taylor Swift and Hargitay.
In a pre-taped Law & Order: SVU sketch, Hargitay’s Olivia Benson investigated whether Swift would actually appear at the Emmys — only for Swift herself to turn up as part of the investigation.
The final joke? Swift appeared holding her cat Olivia Benson, famously named after Hargitay’s character.
Swift wasn’t actually at the Emmys. Her appearance had been pre-recorded.
The Traitors Wins Again
The Traitors took home Outstanding Reality Competition Series for the third consecutive year, with Alan Cumming accepting for the show.
A Few More Highlights
Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive Lead Actress in a Comedy Emmy for Hacks, while Allison Janney’s win for The Diplomat gave her eight career Emmys. Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus.
The show also leaned into television nostalgia, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz and the 50th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels with Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith.
Not a bad night for a little old-school television mixed in with the new.
