Stephen Colbert Late Show Wins First Emmy After Cancellation

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won its first-ever Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series, with director Jim Hoskinson honored for an episode featuring David Oyelowo, Finn Wolfhard, Alan Cumming, and a performance by OK Go. This victory ended a long drought, as the show had amassed 33 nominations since its 2015 debut without a win, making it the second most-nominated show in Emmy history without a win prior to this. The win comes shortly after CBS controversially canceled the show in July, citing financial reasons, amid Paramount's pending $8.4 billion merger with Skydance and a $16 million settlement paid to President Donald Trump over a defamation lawsuit related to edited footage of Kamala Harris. Trump celebrated the cancellation on his Truth Social platform, predicting further late-night host cancellations, while Colbert responded defiantly. Industry peers, including Jimmy Kimmel, have shown support for Colbert, campaigning for his show at the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards, where it is nominated for Outstanding Talk Series. The Emmy win is seen by some as a response to the backlash over the show's cancellation and a recognition of its impact despite its end.