Stephen Colbert Endorses Rival Jimmy Kimmel for Emmy: 'He Deserves It'

Stephen Colbert has endorsed Jimmy Kimmel for an Emmy — even though their shows are competing against each other in the same category.

Colbert posted a video on Instagram on 26 August 2026 urging Emmy voters to back Kimmel, saying "Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy." He noted there were 24 hours left in Emmy voting. The video appeared to be filmed by cliffs, which Colbert called "the end of the world" (Deadline).

The endorsement lands in the newly revamped Outstanding Variety Series race for 2026. The category was designated as an area award, meaning multiple shows could potentially win rather than a single title taking the prize. Five entries are in contention: Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Deadline).

Colbert endorsing a direct rival is unusual enough on its own. What makes it stand out is the history between the two hosts. Last year, Kimmel endorsed Colbert for an Emmy by putting up a billboard in Los Angeles that read "I'm voting for Stephen." Colbert went on to win his first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series that September as host of The Late Show. The two have been openly supportive of each other since; Kimmel was filmed hugging Colbert between commercial breaks during the Emmys ceremony in September 2025 (Deadline; Deadline, 14 September 2025).

CBS has been making its own Emmy push for The Late Show with a far broader campaign. The network released a star-studded video featuring late-night peers including Kimmel himself, John Oliver, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and Andy Cohen, alongside celebrities such as Bette Midler, Drew Barrymore, William Shatner and Oprah Winfrey (Deadline).

So while CBS rallies a galaxy of names behind Colbert's show, Colbert himself is pointing voters toward the man across the late-night desk. Whether the endorsement moves any votes — and whether the area-award format means both hosts could end up winners — will be settled when the Emmys are handed out.