Stephen Colbert Sends Off ‘The Late Show’ With an Emmy Win and a Powerful Message for Hollywood
Cancellations rarely make for good television history, but every so often, a show manages to go out with exactly the kind of send-off its fans were hoping for. ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ delivered precisely that kind of ending this year, closing out its run not with a whimper but with a genuine Emmy triumph.
CBS announced back in 2025 that it would be ending the 33-year-old late-night institution, with the network citing the shifting economics of the late-night landscape. The decision arrived amid intense scrutiny over Paramount’s dealings with the Trump administration, including a $16 million settlement tied to a lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview, a deal Colbert himself had previously criticized on air.
Despite going off the air in May, ‘The Late Show’ took home the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series at this year’s ceremony, capping a farewell season that ultimately delivered six total trophies, including wins for directing, writing, lighting design, picture editing, and technical direction.
Rather than using his moment on stage to address the political backdrop surrounding the show’s cancellation, Colbert kept his acceptance speech focused almost entirely on the people who worked behind the scenes to make the show possible. He used the platform to make a direct plea to the industry, according to Mediaite, telling the audience that late-night shows require large teams and function as a critical training ground for young people learning to work professionally.
“I want you to know I got some great news: they are all tech-avail,” Colbert said, referring to his now out-of-work staff. “Hire them — they will make your show better, and they will make your day easier.”
Stephen Colbert wins the #Emmy for Best Variety Series after CBS canceled “The Late Show” and urges the industry to hire his crew: “They will make your show better and your day easier.”
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
(via NBC/EMMYS) pic.twitter.com/yvRJgVQUA0
He closed out his remarks with a heartfelt shoutout to his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, calling her his “only crew” and “only audience” during COVID and telling her, “Yours is the laugh that I want for the rest of my life.” The moment reportedly brought McGee Colbert to tears in the audience.
This marked Colbert’s second consecutive Emmy win in the category, following the show’s first-ever trophy last year for Outstanding Talk Series. That earlier win came with its own politically charged undertone, arriving just months after the cancellation was first announced, and Colbert used that speech to reflect on loving his country “more desperately” during a difficult moment for the show.
Stephen Colbert used his #Emmys acceptance speech to hype up his former writers, and encourage Hollywood to hire them.
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) September 15, 2026
"The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" took home the award for Outstanding Variety Series. pic.twitter.com/G6zKSFDh5R
This year, Colbert largely steered clear of political commentary during his acceptance speech itself, though he did address the topic afterward while speaking with reporters backstage. Speaking with Variety following the ceremony, Colbert said he still believes “free speech is alive and well,” adding that late-night television remains “just as funny and just as vital as it ever has been.”
For a show that had never won a single Emmy before its final two seasons, going out with six trophies in one night, plus a heartfelt plea on behalf of the crew that made it all possible, gave ‘The Late Show’ the kind of ending that few canceled series ever get to experience.
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