The drama surrounding the abrupt cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will lead to the longtime host finally winning an Emmy after nine years of nominations, an industry expert said.
Steven Zeitchik, senior editor of technology and politics at The Hollywood Reporter, argued in a new piece that Colbert’s defiant stance against the Trump administration will sway the voting body at the Television Academy.
A media frenzy engulfed The Late Show after Colbert publicly slammed the CBS show’s parent corporation, Paramount Global, for settling a defamation lawsuit with Trump for $16 million, calling it a ‘big, fat, bribe,’ in his opening monologue.
Just days after the searing call-out, Colbert told his studio audience that the network was ending The Late Show in May 2026.
Speculation has loomed over why the show was canceled, with A-listers and fellow talk-show hosts coming to the comedian’s defense.
As Hollywood mourned the loss of the show, Trump was quick to celebrate, writing on Truth Social, ‘I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.’
In response, Colbert returned to The Late Show stage and took the gloves off during his monologue.
‘How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f*** yourself,’ he said in a message to the president.
Colbert slammed his CBS show’s parent corporation, Paramount, for settling a defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump, calling it a ‘big, fat, bribe (Pictured: Trump on The Late Show as a guest on September 22, 2015)
Just days after the public call-out, Colbert announced that the network was canceling his show. Many called the move political, while Trump celebrated online (Pictured: Colbert hosting the Emmy Awards on September 17, 2017)
Zeitchik speculated that the increased attention and Colbert’s willingness to stand up to Trump could result in The Late Show finally snagging an Emmy win.
Colbert won an Emmy for his work on The Colbert Report, a satirical show that ran on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014.
After he replaced David Letterman on The Late Show, the program was nominated for the most Outstanding Talk Series at the Emmys from 2017 to 2022.
Every year during that period, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won the award. Oliver’s arguably the most liberal of the late-night bunch and often spotlights politics on his show.
In 2023, Last Week Tonight was moved to a different category, nominated for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.
Colbert still watched from the sidelines that year as The Daily Show with Trevor Noah won the award.
Noah’s win coincided with his last season hosting the show, before a series of rotating hosts took over.
In 2024, The Daily Show’s longtime veteran host, John Stewart, made his highly anticipated return, which was enough to secure the Emmy.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has never won at the Emmy Awards. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is the consistent frontrunner of the category (Pictured: Taylor Tomlinson, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver at the award ceremony on January 15, 2024)
A glimmer of hope came for Colbert in 2023 when Oliver’s show was moved to another category, but The Daily Show with Trevor Noah took home the win (Pictured: Trevor Noah and the crew accepting the Emmy in 2024)
Zeitchik argued that Stewart’s team at The Daily Show was the frontrunner this year as well, but the controversy surrounding The Late Show presents an opportunity for liberal Hollywood to stick it to the Trump administration.
Industry reporter Steven Zietchik argued that liberal Hollywood will vote for Colbert at this year’s Emmys
‘Whether the president actually had a hand in the cancellation matters less than the fact that voters see a partisan battle in the firing,’ Zeitchik wrote.
‘An Emmy won’t change public policy on immigration and Medicaid. But it’s one of the few ways liberal Hollywood can stick it to the leader they loathe.’
The industry reporter also pointed out that this could be Colbert’s last chance at a traditional Emmy at a major network.
He also noted that, like Noah’s win in 2023, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson won its first Emmy for its final year on the air.
Colbert has long been a staunch critic of conservatives, frequently torching the president during his opening monologues.
But long before he began hosting, Colbert spoofed conservativism on The Colbert Report, satirizing Republican television personalities like former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.
He hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2006 and delivered a speech so intense that some staffers walked out.
Long before he began hosting, Colbert spoofed conservativism on The Colbert Report, satirizing Republican television personalities like former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly
Colbert didn’t mince words when reacting to Trump’s Truth Social post celebrating the show’s cancellation, telling the president to ‘Go f*** yourself’
Zeitchik pointed to the irony of Colbert winning an Emmy after a feud with Trump, as the president knows what it’s like to continually lose at the award show.
Trump lost at the Emmys eight times during his tenure on his reality television show The Apprentice.
‘So the trophy Trump is claiming here is a rich one, nearly 30 years in the making, on behalf of several generations of Republican leaders,’ Zeitchik concluded.
‘Of course, the trophy Colbert could wind up winning may be even sweeter.’
Daily Mail reached out to Paramount and the Television Academy for comment.
