Stephen Colbert’s "The Late Show" received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series for its final season, triumphing over nominees including "Saturday Night Live" and "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver."
Accepting the award on Monday night, Colbert directed his remarks to the Emmy audience, urging them to hire his former staff. "I want you to know I got some great news," he said. "They are all avail. Hire them. They will make your show better, and they will make your day easier."
He also expressed gratitude to the more than 200 people who contributed to the show over its 11-year run. "Thank you so much on behalf of the over 200 people who threw themselves at this show for 11 years to try to do the best show they possibly could for you," Colbert stated. "Thank you so much for watching. We hope you enjoyed the show. We had a great time doing it for you."
The win comes more than a year after CBS canceled "The Late Show," concluding Colbert's tenure and ending the program's decades-long broadcast history. Prior to this award, the show had already secured five Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including honors for Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Variety Series.
The series concluded its run on May 21 with a finale that featured appearances from notable figures such as Paul McCartney, Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, Bryan Cranston, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers. This final episode attracted over 6 million viewers, marking its most-watched weeknight broadcast, according to Variety.
Colbert had commented on the show's cancellation, which he addressed on his program. He had previously criticized a $16 million settlement involving Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, and its impact on the Trump administration's approval of Paramount's merger with Skydance Media. Colbert described the settlement as a "big, fat bribe" and expressed a loss of trust in the company.