The 77th Primetime Emmys had been an enormous evening of tv for reveals like The Studio, The Pitt, and Adolescence, in addition to some darkish horse wins like Andor taking the trophy for Excellent Writing. Probably the most emotional wins of the night was saved for nearly final, nonetheless, with Stephen Colbert’s The Late Present successful Excellent Discuss Collection. Successful the highest class in his style for the very first time may need been emotional underneath any circumstances, however the victory coming months after The Late Present was controversially cancelled makes this a standout second from the 2025 Emmy Awards dwell.
Colbert was already getting a variety of hype on the Emmys earlier than Bryan Cranston walked out on stage to announce the winner for Excellent Discuss Collection, as he had offered an award earlier within the broadcast, with the viewers of celebrities and creatives chanting “Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!” I wasn’t shocked to listen to him cracking a joke about The Late Present’s cancellation when he offered, however I wasn’t ready for the way he and the room would react when the Late Present’s win was introduced.
The longtime host was visibly overjoyed, and ushered others from The Late Present workforce together with him as he took to the stage to simply accept the award. From the viewers, Jimmy Kimmel, who had used his personal nomination to help Colbert, clearly was nonetheless rooting for the Late Present host, primarily based on his expression. I felt higher about my very own teary response to Colbert’s jubilation after I noticed The White Lotus’ Aimee Lou Wooden with tears in her eyes as properly. As for Colbert after he lastly made it to the stage, he was nothing however stylish after getting the trophy from Cranston.
Colbert mentioned that he wished to “thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be a part of the late evening custom,” regardless of outcry towards the community when The Late Present was cancelled. The host continued, saying of the late evening custom that he hopes it “continues lengthy after we’re not doing this present.” He thanked his household, the remainder of the arduous employees at The Late Present, and the late Amy Cole, who was a longtime govt assistant earlier than she handed away in 2024. He then went past Nate Bargatze’s 45-second rule on a extra emotional be aware:
Ten years in the past in September of 2015, Spike Jonze stopped by my workplace and mentioned, ‘Hey, what would you like this present to be about?’ And I mentioned, ‘Spike, I don’t understand how you might do it, however I’d kinda love to do a late evening comedy present that was about love.’ I don’t know if I ever figured that out, however at a sure level, and you may guess what that time was, I spotted that in some methods we had been doing a late evening comedy present about loss. And that’s associated to like as a result of typically you solely really understand how a lot you’re keen on one thing while you get a way that you simply could be dropping it. Ten years later, in September of 2025, my buddies, I’ve by no means beloved my nation extra desperately. God bless America! Keep sturdy, be courageous, and if the elevator tries to convey you down, go loopy and punch a better flooring!
Colbert didn’t get into any particulars about when he realized he was doing a “late evening comedy present about loss,” however from the context, I’m guessing he was both referring to when late evening tv total grew far more political throughout President Donald Trump’s first time period in workplace or when his personal present was unexpectedly cancelled. When he introduced the cancellation on The Late Present again in July, he responded to the booing viewers by saying that he shared their emotions. The choice to cancel was mentioned to be attributable to monetary causes, in line with CBS execs. His speech spoke of optimism and hope for the long run as an alternative of dwelling on any bitter emotions
Whereas The Late Present remains to be set to finish in 2026, I’m going to carry on to the reminiscence of simply how glad Colbert and his workforce had been when strolling up on that stage on the 77th Emmys, in addition to all of the help from the viewers. Loads of individuals are nonetheless on Workforce Colbert, even when his days on late evening tv are numbered at this level.