‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Wins First-Ever Emmy in Wake of Cancellation

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” may have been canceled, but it won the respect of the Hollywood industry.

The long-running late-night program picked up its first-ever Emmy statuette at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmys, winning outstanding directing for a variety series for Jim Hoskinson for the episode, “David Oyelowo, Finn Wolfhard, Special Apperance by Alan Cumming, Performance By Ok Go.”

Including the two additional nominations from this year’s Emmy lineup, the CBS staple had amassed 33 Emmy nominations since its debut in 2015. It was ranked as the second most-nominated show in Emmy history without a win, trailing only AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” which infamously lost all 53 of its nominations across its six-season run. The comedy “Newhart,’ which ran from 1982 to 1990, long held the record with 25 losses until “Better Call Saul” lost its final Emmy categories in 2023, coincidentally the same year “The Late Show” surpassed “Newhart” in the tally.

Many see the awarding of the series as a reaction to the outcry over CBS’ controversial decision to cancel “The Late Show” for what the network cited as “financial reasons.”

Colbert himself already has 10 Emmys to his name, being previously honored for “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central and his most recent win for his special, audaciously titled “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020.”

When emceed by David Letterman, who hosted “The Late Show” from 1993 to 2015, the program reaped a steady stream of Emmy accolades. It won nine Emmys during his tenure, including seven for outstanding variety series. That streak ended in 2003 when “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” ushered in a new era of late-night dominance.

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” landed two Primetime Emmy noms this year for talk series and directing (Jim Hoskinson). The award for talk series will be handed out at the main ceremony on Sept. 14.