The 78th Emmy Awards brought together heartfelt tributes, unexpected laughs and plenty of celebrity moments that quickly became the talk of the night. The ceremony opened on an emotional note as Sally Field and Reba McEntire honored the late Dolly Parton. Field, who starred alongside Parton in Steel Magnolias, remembered her as kind, humble, supportive and incredibly funny, while McEntire followed with a moving performance of “Appalachian Memories.” Her final words, “I love you, Dolly. So much,” gave the tribute an especially personal ending. Another emotional scene came when Jamie Lee Curtis honored Rob Reiner and struggled to hold back tears while discussing his remarkable 48-year gap between acting Emmy wins. Michael J. Fox also touched the room with a heartfelt speech about his family, his Parkinson’s journey and the importance of showing up for others during difficult moments.

The night also had plenty of lighter surprises. A playful Law & Order: SVU sketch with Mariska Hargitay investigated whether Taylor Swift would attend, eventually revealing that she appeared in a prerecorded segment instead. Marcello Hernández then turned the audience into part of the comedy by addressing stars including Harrison Ford, Zendaya and Tom Holland, while Ford’s amused reaction caught viewers’ attention. Hargitay also became a talking point after singing during the ceremony, with viewers sharing mixed reactions online. Her playful exchange with Nicole Kidman added another memorable moment when Kidman jokingly accused her of stealing one of her lines. Later, Macaulay Culkin became emotional while remembering his Home Alone co-star Catherine O’Hara, calling her “mama” and encouraging viewers to call their mothers. Meanwhile, Meg Stalter provided a completely different kind of highlight by arriving in a dramatic gold ensemble inspired by the Emmy statuette itself.