The Late Show With Stephen Colbert scored some big wins on Saturday during the first night of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
It comes nearly four months after the late night CBS show aired its farewell episode in May following its cancellation by the network.
Colbert, 62, hosted the series for 11 years after replacing his predecessor David Letterman following his retirement in 2015.
The show received nine Emmy nominations for its final season and won major awards such as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Other programs nominated in the same category included Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Colbert’s former late night show also won Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming and Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert scored some big wins on Saturday during the first night of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The show received nine Emmy nominations for its final season and won major awards such as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series; seen above in May
Other awards the series received included Outstanding Technical Direction and Cinematography 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 Colbert’s representatives for comment but has not yet heard back.
Last July, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after it had been on the air for ten years at the time.
It came just days later are angry rant live about 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 discontinue the Late Show franchise at that time.
“We’re proud that Stephen has called CBS home. He and his broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
Other awards the series received included Outstanding Technical Direction and Cinematography for a Series; Taylor Swift guests in December 2025
It came just days after his angry tirade live on air about the network’s parent company Paramount, which settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump; Trump seen in Washington DC earlier this month
The network also emphasized that the decision to end the show is “purely a financial decision against a challenging late night backdrop”; Jacket seen in 2025
The network also emphasized that the decision to end the show is “purely a financial decision against a challenging late night backdrop.”
“It is in no way related to the performance, content or anything else going on at Paramount,” the statement continued.
That was the case in the past too CBS claimed 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 in 2015 and notably won its first Emmy last year.
Before the win, the show had previously collected a total of 33 Emmy nominations.
Following 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, featuring star-studded guests such as Paul McCartney and Ryan Reynolds alongside Colbert.
Just moments after the episode aired, CBS aired 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, featuring star-studded guests such as Paul McCartney and Ryan Reynolds alongside Colbert (see above)
Colbert reflected on the end of the late night show during an interview with People.
“I mean, you can’t do this forever,” he told the outlet. “You have to think about: when is the right time to end your term? I didn’t think this quickly, 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 step down with enough time and enough energy to do other things I want to do.”
He also opened up about the topic during the conversation The Hollywood Reporterand 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 a little bit earlier what the last show would be,” he explained.
Colbert later added that “maybe they gave me a gift because I could make a lot of jokes about the ending of the show.”
“And if I had decided to end the show, then I’m the bad guy. It’s hard to joke about that.’
The late night talk show first premiered with Colbert as host 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’ve done for the last eleven years,” he said; seen in May
The TV personality also gave his thoughts on the future of late night shows.
“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’ve done for 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 also earned a nomination for Outstanding Variety Series at the upcoming 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14.
