Emmys 2025: Stephen Colbert Earns Huge Ovation As He Wins First Emmy As Late Show Host After Cancellation

CBS may be ending The Late Show, but Emmy voters aren't ready to say goodbye yet.

Stephen Colbert's late-night talk show won the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series on Sunday, its first win in the category since Colbert took the Late Show reins in 2015. The win comes just two months after CBS abruptly axed The Late Show in a surprise move — one that may have spurred voters to reward Colbert on his way out. (The win drew a loud roar of approval from the audience when it was announced in the room.)

In his acceptance speech, Colbert took the high road, thanking CBS for giving him a chance to be a part of the great late-night tradition, "which I hope continues long after we're no longer doing this show." He also thanked his crew and family before adding a bittersweet memory from when he first started doing Late Show. He remembered thinking, "I'd kind of like to do a late-night comedy show that's about love," and now realizes that they're doing a show about "loss."

Those two feelings are connected, though, he insisted: "Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it." He added, "I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America, stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor!"

While presenting earlier in the night, Colbert also poked fun at his approaching unemployment, asking "Is anyone hiring?" and handing a decades-old headshot to nominee Harrison Ford to pass along to Steven Spielberg.

The cancellation of Colbert's Late Show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," CBS insisted in a statement at the time. "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Many observers, though, pointed to Colbert's vocal criticism of President Donald Trump, along with the merger of CBS' parent company Paramount and Skydance Media that required approval from Trump's FCC.  

This isn't Colbert's last chance to grasp Emmy gold, either: The Late Show will continue airing through next May, so it'll be eligible for next year's Emmys as well.