The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has taken home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, giving the celebrated late-night program a major victory as it closes out its run.
Stephen Colbert accepted the award alongside members of his longtime team, receiving a standing ovation from the Emmy audience. The win comes just months after CBS aired the show’s final episode, making the honor an especially significant moment for the program and its staff.
The series competed against The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Saturday Night Live in the Outstanding Variety Series category.
Colbert’s show entered the 2026 Emmys with nine nominations, its biggest awards showing during its 11-year run. The program also earned recognition for writing, directing, technical direction and camerawork, lighting, music direction and other production categories.
During his acceptance speech, Colbert used the moment to celebrate the more than 200 people who worked behind the scenes and encouraged Hollywood productions to hire members of his former staff. The victory marked another Emmy achievement for the show and its creative team after years of recognition from the Television Academy.
