Florence Pugh and Julia Garner are bringing a little movie-star voltage to television’s biggest night. The pair will present the Best Actress in a Drama Series award at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, according to Film Updates.
The category, officially titled Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, is one of the evening’s headline races as the Emmys arrive Monday, Sept. 14, from Los Angeles. Mariska Hargitay is hosting the NBC telecast, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Pugh’s appearance adds film prestige to a ceremony built around television’s strongest current dramas. The Oscar-nominated actor has moved between major studio productions and acclaimed independent films, while Garner arrives with a particularly deep Emmy résumé.
Garner has won three Emmys.
The actor won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series three times for playing Ruth Langmore on Netflix’s “Ozark” — in 2019, 2020 and 2022. She also received a 2022 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for portraying Anna Delvey in “Inventing Anna,” according to her Television Academy profile.
That history gives Garner a direct connection to the acting honors she will help present, even though she is not part of this year’s lead-drama actress lineup. The 2026 nominees include Jennifer Aniston for “The Morning Show,” Keri Russell for “The Diplomat,” Christine Baranski for “The Gilded Age” and Zendaya for “Euphoria,” among others.
The presenters join a crowded lineup announced by the Television Academy that includes Jon Hamm, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sally Field, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amy Poehler and Zendaya. The ceremony follows a Creative Arts Emmy weekend in which television’s technical and guest-performance categories were handed out ahead of the main broadcast.
The 78th Emmys also arrives with “The Pitt” leading all programs with 25 nominations, followed by “Hacks” with 24, according to Peacock’s official ceremony guide. Pugh and Garner will take the stage as the night turns its attention to the actresses carrying television’s most closely watched dramas.
Monday night, the cameras will be waiting.
