The 78th Emmy Awards are expanding both their star roster and their tribute plans ahead of the September 14 ceremony, which will air live from the Peacock Theater on NBC and Peacock.
Jesse Collins confirmed Thursday that the telecast will honor Dolly Parton, who died recently at age 80. According to Deadline, the tribute will feature Reba McEntire, Parton’s longtime friend and fellow country music icon. McEntire is also currently an NBC star as the lead of the network’s multi-camera comedy Happy’s Place.
Following Parton’s death, McEntire posted a tribute on Instagram, writing, “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
The Parton salute joins a ceremony already stocked with reunion moments and television-history callbacks. Previously reported plans include a tribute to Catherine O’Hara featuring Macaulay Culkin, who played her son in Home Alone, along with her Schitt’s Creek co-stars Dan Levy and Annie Murphy. The telecast is also set to feature a 50th anniversary Charlie’s Angels reunion with Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd, plus a 30th anniversary Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion with Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz.
New Presenter Lineup Adds Franchise Faces and Current TV Stars
NBC and the TV Academy have announced a new wave of presenters for the ceremony, which will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay.
Among the latest additions is a major contingent from Fox’s upcoming Baywatch reboot. Stephen Amell, Noah Beck, Jessica Belkin, Hassie Harrison, Thaddeus LaGrone and Brooks Nader are all set to appear, with the group on hand to present an award and promote the new series.
Several other presenters will similarly arrive with new or current projects in the spotlight. LL Cool J and Scott Caan, stars of CBS’ new spinoff NCIS: New York, have joined the lineup. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the leads of the Apple TV comedy Brothers, are also set to present, as is Julia Garner, star of Netflix’s limited series The Altruists.
Jamie Lee Curtis will have one of the busier roles of the evening. She is scheduled as a presenter while also serving as co-star and executive producer of NBC’s new comedy series Newlyweds. Curtis is also an Emmy nominee this year for The Bear; she won in 2024.
Shailene Woodley, from Paradise, is also joining the main telecast as a presenter. She is the only guest acting winner from last weekend tapped for the primary ceremony.
Additional newly announced presenters include Awkwafina and John Mulaney, as NBC and the TV Academy look to increase the ceremony’s entertainment content. The list also includes House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy; Love Story’s JFK Jr., Paul Anthony Kelly; Furious star Emmy Rossum; and NBC’s America’s Got Talent judge Sofía Vergara.
They join a previously announced presenter slate that includes Odessa A’zion, Linda Cardellini, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Marcello Hernández, Peter Krause, Julianna Margulies, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amanda Peet, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh, Rachel Sennott and Zendaya.
In Memoriam and Production Team
The ceremony’s In Memoriam segment has also been set. Noah Kahan will perform “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the tribute.
Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment, along with Mariska Hargitay, will serve as executive producers of the 78th Emmy Awards.