Stephen Colbert wins final Emmy for ‘The Late Show’ as he takes home major award
The recently concluded 78th Emmy Awards delivered several surprises and historic wins. One of them was ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ winning in the Outstanding Variety Series category. After its 11-year run, the show beat ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, ‘Saturday Night Live’, ‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,’ and ‘The Daily Show.’ The historic win served as a final tribute to the ‘Late Show’ franchise, which began back in 1993 with David Letterman and concluded with Stephen Colbert.
Previously, CBS announced the show’s cancellation for financial reasons, noting that the program was losing tens of millions of dollars every year as advertising revenue declined. Notably, the Emmy categories have also changed significantly over the years. Previously, traditional daily comedy talk shows, including ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Late Show,’ competed in the Outstanding Talk Series category. Meanwhile, scripted programs such as ‘Last Week Tonight’ and ‘Saturday Night Live’ competed in the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series category. However, earlier this year, the Television Academy combined the two categories and created the Outstanding Variety Series category.
After his win at the 78th Emmy Awards, Stephen Colbert, in his acceptance speech, expressed his gratitude, as he said, “Thank you so much on behalf of the over 200 people who threw themselves at this show for 11 years to try to do the best show they possibly could for you.” He added that late-night television has been a “fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally,” as he called his staff “the future of our business that we have to look after.” While speaking to the massive audience, full of renowned artists, he added, “Over the last 21 years, I've interviewed at least 1000 of you. Thank you for coming on to talk to this idiot. I want you to know that you were the perfect guest.” Further in his speech, Stephen Colbert mentioned his wife and referred to her as his “favorite guest.” He concluded, “We’ll catch you all on the flip.”
Interestingly, the show won a total of six Primetime Emmy Awards for its final season. On May 21, 2026, fans witnessed the longtime host bid an emotional farewell to the show. In the final episode, he shared, “This show has been a joy for us to do for you. We call it ‘The Joy Machine,’ because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.”
