The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won its first Emmy on Sunday, less than two months after news of its cancellation drew a gleeful response from Donald Trump. The programme secured the Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding directing for a variety series, with director Jim Hoskinson recognised for an episode featuring actors David Oyelowo, Finn Wolfhard and Alan Cumming, alongside a musical performance by rock band OK Go.
Although Colbert himself has won ten previous Emmys, this was the first for the Late Show during his tenure, which began in 2015 and is due to end in May 2026. CBS controversially cancelled the show in July, a decision Colbert announced days after criticising the network for paying $16m to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump. Colbert had dismissed the settlement as “a big fat bribe”.
Trump, a frequent target of Colbert’s jokes, celebrated the cancellation on his Truth Social platform, posting: “I absolutely love that Colbert was fired.” Colbert replied on air with an expletive-laden retort, telling the president: “Go fuck yourself.” The cancellation came as CBS parent company Paramount awaited federal approval of its $8.4bn merger with Skydance, which was later granted by regulators at Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission.
CBS television chair George Cheeks insisted the decision was driven by financial pressures rather than politics. “The challenge in late-night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline,” he said. “We are huge fans of Colbert – we love the show. Unfortunately, the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going.”
The Emmy win, according to entertainment outlet Variety, was widely seen as a reaction to public dismay over the cancellation. The Late Show had amassed more than 30 nominations before Sunday’s victory; only AMC’s Better Call Saul had more nominations without a win. The show is also nominated in the talk series category at the main Emmy ceremony scheduled for 14 September.
