‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ wins Emmy after ending 11

‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ wins Emmy after ending 11-year run

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won an Emmy for best variety series Monday night, one of six Emmys the show has won this year.

“If you like the comedy tonight, my old writers wrote it,” Stephen Colbert said.

Colbert used the opportunity to express gratitude to the show’s staff.

“Thanks so much on behalf of the more than 200 people who threw themselves at this show for 11 years to try to do the best show they could for you,” he said. “The thing about these late shows is that, besides being a really good, steady job, they require so many people that they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally on a deadline, in cooperation, in collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after.”

Colbert did not mention the drama that engulfed the late-night show as it ended in May.

CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show, a cornerstone of the CBS lineup, would end, citing economic reasons after 11 seasons. But Colbert had been the ratings leader in late-night TV.

Many, including Colbert, expressed skepticism, suggesting that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show may have been a factor.

A “Widow’s Bay” wave slammed into the Emmy Awards on Monday night as the Apple TV show set a single-season record for a comedy with 14 wins, including best comedy series and best actor for star <a href="https://comicvibe.com/emmy-awards-2026-matthew-rhys-creates-history-after-bagging-two-lead-actor-awards-in-one-night/" title="Emmy Awards 2026: Matthew Rhys creates history after bagging two lead actor awards in one night”>Matthew Rhys, who personally took home three trophies.

“The Pitt” won best drama series for the second straight year, and star Noah Wyle repeated as best actor in a drama. But the HBO Max emergency room drama won no other Emmys and underperformed expectations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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