The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Earns Nine Emmy Nominations
The final season of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” received nine Emmy nominations, marking a significant achievement since Colbert took over as host. This is the highest number of nominations the show has garnered in its history.
It has been nominated for several categories, including Outstanding Variety Series, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Technical Direction, among others. This surpasses the previous record of five nominations achieved in 2024, which included directing and production design, as well as nominations in both 2021 and 2022.
Throughout Colbert’s 11 years on the show, it has earned over 40 nominations but won only twice for Outstanding Talk Series and Outstanding Directing—both in 2025, shortly after CBS announced the show’s cancellation.
In his acceptance speech for the Outstanding Talk Series award, Colbert expressed his profound love for the country, saying, “Sometimes you only realize how much you love something when you feel like you’re about to lose it.” He emphasized, “I have never loved my country so much. God bless America.”
In a statement, CBS congratulated the team on their nominations and noted the response on social media. Colbert, however, has been critical of CBS, suggesting that the cancellation of the show was an attempt to appease political pressures, particularly from former President Donald Trump.
Colbert’s final season saw him openly addressing the network’s decisions, arguing that times have changed and that the atmosphere is not like the past where dissent was stifled. He pointed out at the Writers Guild Awards that “This is not the 1950s.” This sentiment resonated as he criticized the narrative around media control related to political influences.
The show’s final episode aired on May 21, and it notably secured five of its nine Emmy nominations during this last season. However, the backdrop of its cancellation added layers to the awards’ significance.
As the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards approach, scheduled for September 14, it will be interesting to see how the nominations play out against the backdrop of the show’s abrupt end and Colbert’s outspoken views.
