Emmys glow under a hot sun as 'The Pitt' and 'Hacks' chase repeat glory

Television's biggest stars assembled at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday for the Primetime Emmy Awards, walking a blue carpet that broadcaster NBC chose in place of the traditional red.

The ceremony, held on an unusually warm afternoon, honours the best of television. Noah Wyle, Selena Gomez and other luminaries were among those arriving ahead of the live broadcast at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

"It's the surface of the sun out here," joked Kristen Bell of "Nobody Wants This," adding that there was "a lot of friendship in the air" and a "familial vibe." Nominee Meg Stalter of "Hacks" drew attention in an all-gold outfit echoing the Emmy statuette, complete with giant wings and a large gold globe held aloft.

Mariska Hargitay, star of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," was set to host, breaking with the tradition of a comedian serving as emcee. Presenters included Sally Field, Jon Hamm, Amy Poehler and Zendaya.

The evening offered a rare moment of celebration as Hollywood contends with production cutbacks, anxiety over artificial intelligence and the proposed Paramount Skydance purchase of HBO owner Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that has divided the industry and faces legal challenges.

Jean Smart of "Hacks" could become the first performer to win the Emmy for best comedy actress in every season of a show's run, while Harrison Ford could claim his first Emmy at age 84 for "Shrinking."

HBO Max's "The Pitt," set in a Pittsburgh trauma centre, was favoured to win best drama for a second straight year, with competitors including newcomer "Pluribus," an Apple TV show about a woman at war with an alien hive mind. Wyle, its star, was a leading contender for a second consecutive best actor Emmy.

"Hacks," featuring Smart as a septuagenarian stand-up comic fighting to stay relevant, looked like the clear frontrunner two months ago. The HBO Max series has won best comedy once in its previous four seasons but must fend off surging support for Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," a new horror comedy starring Matthew Rhys as mayor of a small New England town that appears to be cursed.

Winners are chosen by the more than 27,000 writers, directors, performers, producers and craftspeople in the Television Academy. This year the academy revamped the late-night comedy competition. Shows including "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," which was cancelled by CBS, and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will compete for outstanding variety series in a category that could produce more than one winner. Under the academy's rules, each nominee is judged individually and any show with 90% approval receives an Emmy.