Stephen Colbert received a standing ovation at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday as he accepted the award for Best Talk Series for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, two months after CBS announced the program's cancellation.
Colbert, 61, thanked the network, his crew and his family, and addressed the show's impending end in remarks that drew sustained applause. "I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we are no longer doing this show," he said. He closed his speech on a patriotic and upbeat note: "I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor! Whoo!"
Earlier in the evening Colbert received another standing ovation when he took the stage to announce the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. The audience chanted his name as he walked onstage. He joked about employment prospects for his staff, quipping, "Is anyone hiring? Because I've got 200 very qualified candidates here tonight who will be available in June," and presented a lighthearted moment when he flashed an old headshot and ran into the audience to hand it to actor Harrison Ford, asking if the resume could be passed to producer Steven Spielberg.
Colbert told E! News on the red carpet that he hoped to secure an Emmy for his team before the program ends. "The people who do the show every day teach me what it's like to be a professional and I would be very grateful if we could win it for them because they deserve all the recognition they can get," he said. "I get all the applause and I get all the fame — and I'm fine with that. But I also want them to get a little recognition. We've got nine more months of the show and we're going to have a really good time doing it," he added.
CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in mid-July, a decision that came days after Colbert publicly criticized the network's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump, calling it a "big fat bribe." The cancellation set the program's remaining run through its final scheduled months; Colbert referenced the approaching end during his Emmy acceptance remarks.
The Late Show's Emmy win was over longtime competitors including The Daily Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Colbert's appearance at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and the applause he received underscored industry recognition for the program's production and writing teams even as the show prepares to wind down.
The Emmy victory and Colbert's remarks put a spotlight on late-night programming amid shifting network strategies and public controversies. Colbert has led The Late Show since succeeding David Letterman, and his tenure has been marked by a mix of political commentary, celebrity interviews and comedy. The award caps a season that included both critical acclaim and headlines about the program's future.
Representatives for Colbert and CBS did not immediately respond to requests for further comment following the ceremony. The Emmys ceremony is expected to prompt renewed discussion about late-night lineups and staffing as production teams face the practical implications of an announced cancellation.