The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wins Emmy After CBS Cancellation

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Digital Phablet – “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” secures its first Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series, just seven months before its conclusion.

The audience at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater erupted in applause as Colbert accepted the accolade, expressing gratitude to the approximately 200 exceptional behind-the-scenes professionals of the now-ending CBS late-night program.

He reflected on the show’s broader influence, sharing that he initially envisioned creating a late-night comedy centered on “love,” but later realized it was fundamentally about “loss.”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” took home the Emmy for best talk series at the #Emmys.
Colbert received a long-standing ovation from the crowd — and cheers from the press backstage. See more
— The Associated Press (@AP), September 15, 2025

He remarked, “You don’t always recognize how much you cherish something until you’re at risk of losing it.” Never before has he loved his country more than now, affirming, “God bless the United States.”

Quoting Prince’s song “Let’s Go Crazy,” Colbert encouraged resilience with humor: “Stay strong and brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.”

Back in July, CBS announced that “The Late Show” would end after this season, concluding in May. The network clarified that this decision was unrelated to show performance or content and was linked to a future business partnership between Paramount (CBS’s parent company) and Skydance, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission under the Trump administration.

Following this announcement, many of Colbert’s fans expressed anger, perceiving the move as retaliation for his longstanding criticism of President Trump. Colbert also mocked Paramount for having to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump, who claimed that CBS’s “60 Minutes” had misleadingly edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

CBS denied these allegations. During his victory speech, Colbert maintained professionalism, thanking CBS for allowing him to be part of a rich late-night tradition and expressing hope that it would continue well beyond his tenure.

This year, other notable talk shows competing for awards included “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC.