CBS cancelled Colbert's Late Show — now the network wants it to win an Emmy
CBS cancelled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in the 2025/2026 season, and the final episode aired on 21 May 2026. Now the network is pushing hard for that cancelled show to take home an Emmy.
The Late Show landed nine Emmy nominations this year, across writing, directing, music direction, picture editing, sound mixing, lighting design, camerawork and production design. CBS has posted a "For Your Consideration" video — the industry term for promotional material aimed at Emmy voters — on the show's official YouTube channel, and the campaign includes TV promos and digital billboards, according to Gold Derby.
The FYC video leans into Colbert's final run of shows with a heavy dose of A-listers. Clips show him joking with William Shatner, being serenaded by Bette Midler, drinking with Billy Crystal, therapizing with Oprah Winfrey, throwing furniture off a roof with David Letterman, talking about running for President with President Obama, celebrating Christmas with Prince Harry and dancing with Paul McCartney. Drew Barrymore reenacts her Letterman desk spot. Jennifer Aniston cuddles puppies.
It also features Colbert's fellow late-night hosts and Emmy rivals: Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and Andy Cohen. The video makes clear CBS wants another Emmy in the Outstanding Variety Series category — the new name for a category formed by merging Outstanding Talk Series and Outstanding Scripted Variety Series into one. Under the new Emmy rules, more than one show in the category can pick up a statue. The Late Show is competing against "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "The Daily Show", "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" and "Saturday Night Live," per Deadline.
The campaign did not start smoothly. The Late Show's writers posted their own Emmy ad on social media after claiming CBS would not mount a formal campaign, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gold Derby later reported that CBS did run a campaign with promos and billboards.
What gives the push an extra spark is Jimmy Kimmel's involvement. Kimmel put up a billboard reading "I'm voting for Stephen" in support of Colbert for the main late-night Emmy, Deadline reports. Kimmel has had what he described as an "annus horribilis" — including being briefly taken off the air by ABC. He told The Hollywood Reporter about the hope that Colbert would return the favour, saying: "We were hoping this time they'd get one for us."
Colbert himself has never won an Emmy as host of The Late Show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He did, however, bring an Emmy to the show previously and thanked Kimmel for campaigning on his behalf instead, Variety reported in September 2025.
For the crew of two hundred-plus people who made The Late Show each night, the Emmy campaign is a last marker — one final round of recognition before the lights go off for good.
