The Late Show With Stephen Colbert scored a number of major wins during night one of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday.
It comes nearly four months after the late night CBS show aired its farewell episode back in May following its cancellation by the network.
Colbert, 62, had hosted the series for 11 years upon replacing his predecessor David Letterman following his retirement in 2015.
The show received nine Emmy nominations for its final season, and won big honors such as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Other programs that had been nominated in the same category included Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.
Colbert’s former late night show also won the award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming as well as Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert scored a number of major wins during night one of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday
The show received Emmy nine nominations for its final season, and won big honors such as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series; seen above in May
Other awards that the series received included Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series also went to Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The online digital series Colbert Before Air also won the award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series.
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Colbert for comment, but has yet to hear back.
Last year in July, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after a decade of being on the air at the time.
It came just days after his furious rant live on air over the network’s parent company Paramount settling a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump.
In a statement, the network said: ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire the Late Show franchise at that time.
‘We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and his broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.’
Other awards that the series received included Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series; Taylor Swift seen as guest in December 2025
It came just days after his furious rant live on air over the network’s parent company Paramount settling a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump; Trump seen earlieer this month in Washington D.C.
The network also emphasized that the decision to end the show is ‘purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night’; Colbert seen in 2025
The network also emphasized that the decision to end the show is ‘purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.
‘It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,’ the statement further read.
It was also previously claimed that CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert because it was losing $40 million a year.
The late night talk show first premiered with Colbert as host back in 2015, and notably won its first Emmy last year.
Before the win, the show had previously garnered a total of 33 Emmy nominations.
After the announcement of the show’s cancellation, other late night stars defended Colbert such as Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman.
The final Late Show episode aired on May 21, with star-studded guests such as Paul McCartney and Ryan Reynolds making appearances alongside Colbert.
Only moments after the episode aired, CBS broadcasted the late night show’s replacement called Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.
It was also previously claimed that CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert because it was losing $40 million a year; seen in 2025 in NYC
The final Late Show episode aired on May 21, with star-studded guests such as Paul McCartney and Ryan Reynolds making appearances alongside Colbert (seen above)
Colbert reflected on the late night show coming to an end during an interview with People.
‘I mean, you can’t do this forever,’ he told the outlet. ‘You have to think about, well, when is the right time to end your tenure? I didn’t think this soon, but I mean, who knows?
‘Maybe CBS saved my life because it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I’ll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do.’
He also opened up about the topic while talking to The Hollywood Reporter, and revealed how he would have left The Late Show if it had been on his ‘own terms.’
‘I mean, a lot like this – I’d just be a little older. And it would have been my choice, and I probably would have known what the final show was going to be a little bit earlier,’ he explained.
Colbert later added that ‘maybe they gave me a gift because I had a lot of jokes I could make about the end of the show.
‘And if I’d decided to end the show, then I’m the bad guy – hard to make jokes about that.’
The late night talk show first premiered with Colbert as host back in 2015, and notably won its first Emmy last year; seen in September 2025 in West Hollywood
‘I don’t know what it’s going to be, and I don’t know what I can do to help other than what I did the last 11 years,’ he said; seen in May
The TV personality also offered his thoughts on the future of late night programs.
‘I don’t know what it’s going to be, and I don’t know what I can do to help other than what I did the last 11 years.’
Colbert continued, ‘But one night I’ll turn on the TV and probably no one will be there.’
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has also raked in a nomination for Outstanding Variety Series at the upcoming 78th Primetime Emmy Awards set to take place on September 14.
