In a glittering ceremony that celebrated television's finest behind-the-scenes talent, Stephen Colbert and his writing team for The Late Show clinched one of the night's most coveted honours: the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
The 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, held in Los Angeles, saw the CBS late-night institution fend off stiff competition. The win serves as a powerful endorsement of the show's sharp, satirical, and consistently hilarious take on the day's news and political events.
A Victory for the Writers' Room
This accolade specifically recognises the collective brilliance of Colbert's writing staff. Their winning submission, which undoubtedly tipped the scales with the Television Academy voters, was almost certainly the show's critically acclaimed post-midterm elections monologue from November 2024.
That particular segment was a masterclass in political comedy, blending Colbert's signature wit with incisive commentary, and has been widely praised as some of the best work of his tenure on the show.
Beating Stiff Competition
The victory is all the sweeter considering the calibre of the nominees bested by The Late Show. The category was packed with heavy hitters, including long-standing favourite Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the ever-irreverent Real Time with Bill Maher, and the innovative comedy of Saturday Night Live.
This triumph marks a significant moment for Colbert, reaffirming his show's place at the pinnacle of American late-night television and proving its writing remains as relevant and razor-sharp as ever.
