The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Just Won Its First Emmy After CBS Cancellation. Are Voters Trying To Get It Saved?

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As a devoted TV enthusiast, I’m thrilled about the upcoming TV events of 2025! The most anticipated shows are preparing for the medium’s grandest night, where we’ll find out who among this year’s Emmy Award nominees will be graced with those prestigious statuettes. Given the magnitude of these awards, it’s not surprising that the Primetime Emmys have expanded to a two-night affair, allowing for a wider recognition of creative excellence through the distribution of Creative Arts Emmys. And here’s an interesting twist – one of those Creative Arts Emmy wins surprisingly went to the controversially canceled Late Show with Stephen Colbert!

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that for the first time during Stephen Colbert’s era, “The Late Show” has been awarded an Emmy, marking a significant milestone in its late-night history. The timing is intriguing, with the announcement coming just under two months after CBS decided to cancel the show, and a month following the finalization of Skydance and Paramount’s mega-merger. Could it be that the TV Academy voters are subtly advocating for a reconsideration of “The Late Show’s” cancellation? Let’s delve into the details to uncover more.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s First Emmy Win

Although The Late Show with David Letterman consistently garnered annual Emmy nominations for sixteen consecutive seasons and won six of them, Stephen Colbert’s decade as host saw little recognition on this front. Often, his former Daily Show colleague John Oliver outshone him during those years. However, in 2025, the show made its first appearance in the Emmys, receiving a nomination in the following category:

  • OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES: Jim Hoskinson (April 15 episode featuring guests David Oyelowo, Finn Wolfhard, Special Apperance by Alan Cumming, Performance By Ok Go)

In the competition alongside other nominees like “The Daily Show”, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, “The Late Show” emerged victorious, largely due to the exceptional direction of Jim Hoskinson. This victory was also a first for Hoskinson, who has been nominated 19 times before in this category. Not only for this late-night program but also for his work on “The Colbert Report” and the 2017 special “Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night: Democracy’s Series Finale: Who Will Clean Up This Mess?”

In a tough battle with “The Daily Show”, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” as fellow nominees, “The Late Show” clinched the win, largely thanks to the skillful direction of Jim Hoskinson. This was Hoskinson’s first victory in this category, having been nominated 19 times prior. The accolade was not only significant for this late-night show but also for Hoskinson’s past work on “The Colbert Report” and the 2017 special “Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night: Democracy’s Series Finale: Who Will Clean Up This Mess?

Are Emmy Voters Trying To Save The Late Show From Cancellation?

This question isn’t merely yes/no; instead, it demands individual responses from each voter. However, broader insights may be derived by making less specific assumptions.

The sequence of events could potentially lend credence to this theory. The announcement of nominations, in essence, aligned with CBS’ cancellation news, suggesting that most of the awards they received were already predestined before the show was canceled. Yet, it’s important to note that the deadline for members to cast their votes was August 18th, a date that occurred nearly a month after numerous backstage reports and whispers began swirling about CBS’ decision to terminate the show due to its legal disputes with Donald Trump.

The fault was attributed to heavy financial losses, YouTube stealing viewers from traditional TV, and Colbert’s three-year contract coming to an end, but it’s also been suggested that the cancellation may have stemmed from questionable reasons. As a result, there might have been an under-the-table effort encouraging voters to shower the final season of The Late Show with well-deserved awards.

Regardless of whether we could demonstrate that all Emmy voters supporting Colbert’s Late Show aimed to bring it back on air, such efforts might not necessarily lead to success. The fact that CBS hasn’t cited “a lack of Emmy wins” as a reason for leaving the late-night television scene suggests that focusing on this issue may not be the best approach for promoting change.

In essence, it seems unlikely that anyone would take offense if “The Late Show” were to surpass both “The Daily Show” and “Last Week Tonight” in winning the Outstanding Talk Series award. If CBS fails to capitalize on this opportunity, perhaps the accolade could persuade another network or streaming platform to recruit him instead.

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Don’t forget to catch the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, September 14 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Before that, you can watch the Creative Arts Emmys on FXX the previous night, September 13, also at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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2025-09-08 17:10