Stephen Colbert celebrates 'Late Show' Emmys win after Trump attacks - USA Today

Stephen Colbert got the last laugh at the Emmys with a golden awards sendoff.

The former “Late Show” host victoriously took the stage Sept. 14 during the 78th Emmy Awards after his now-canceled late-night CBS show won outstanding variety series, using the victory to advocate for his writing staff.

After pointing out that "if you like the comedy tonight, my old writers wrote it," Colbert said late-night shows are a "fantastic incubator for young people to come in" and learn how to work on a deadline.

"That is the future of our business that we have to look after," he said, adding that he has "great news" for the industry: His writers are now available to work. "Hire them. They will make your show better, and they will make your day easier."

Colbert also thanked those in the room who he has interviewed on his show but said his "favorite guest" is his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, whom he called the "only audience I really care about."

The comedian also thanked her for being his "only audience" while he taped his show at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yours is the laugh that I want for the rest of my life," he said. "I love you."

Colbert concluded his speech by thanking his viewers: "Thank you so much for watching. We hope you enjoyed the show. We had a great time doing it for you. That's it. Thank you. We'll catch you all on the flip."

The win capped a fitting Emmy farewell for Colbert and “The Late Show,” which ended its 11-season run at New York City's famed Ed Sullivan Theater in May after CBS announced it was pulling the plug on the late-night institution in July 2025.

The cancellation turned into an instant political flashpoint. CBS maintained the decision was a financial reality in the changing late-night landscape. But it came amid intense scrutiny over parent company Paramount's relationship with President Donald Trump.

Paramount had agreed to a $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, a deal Colbert blasted on his show as a “big fat bribe.”

Trump publicly celebrated news of Colbert's cancellation.

"I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings," Trump wrote in a July 18 Truth Social post, before also ripping ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, another late-night host known to poke fun at Trump. "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert."

Colbert, one of TV's most artful Trump critics, continued hammering the president through his final months on the air.

One hour after the May 21 TV conclusion of his late-night series – at 1:52 a.m. – Trump poured water on the jubilant show finale from his Truth Social account. " Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life."

But Colbert opted not to get political during his Emmy speech, ignoring Trump entirely.

This was Colbert's second consecutive Emmy win for "The Late Show": In his 2025 acceptance speech, he thanked CBS for "giving us the privilege to be part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we're no longer doing this show."

“The Late Show” entered the Sept. 14 Emmys ceremony with considerable momentum after winning five Creative Arts Emmys the previous weekend, including awards for writing and directing.

Colbert actually endorsed "Jimmy Kimmel Live" competitor Jimmy Kimmel to win the category in a sincere Instagram post on the last day of Emmy voting.

The win comes the same week that Page Six reported on Sept. 8 that this season Kimmel's late-night show will be its last. ABC denied the report, calling it "inaccurate" and saying that "any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative." Days later, USA TODAY learned that Kimmel and ABC are currently in talks to renew his long-running show.

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY