Stephen Colbert's Canceled Show Earns Nine Emmy Nominations

Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" has secured nine Emmy nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards, despite its recent cancellation. The nominations span categories such as best variety series, production design, directing, editing, lighting design, musical direction, sound mixing, technical direction, cinematography, and writing. This marks the highest number of Emmy nominations for Colbert's show, surpassing his previous record of five. The cancellation by CBS in July 2025 was attributed by the network to "purely financial" reasons, coinciding with merger negotiations between Paramount, CBS's parent company, and Skydance. The timing also sparked controversy. Former President Donald Trump publicly commented on the cancellation, denying any involvement and instead attributing it to Colbert's "absolute lack of talent" and the show's high cost. Trump also suggested that other late-night hosts known for their critical stance towards him, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, might face similar fates. During the final week of "The Late Show," numerous celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen, appeared. Springsteen reportedly described Colbert as "the first guy in the U.S. who lost his show because we have a president who can't stand a joke." Following the show's final episode on May 21, Trump celebrated its end, calling Colbert an "idiot" on his Truth Social platform and stating the show "has no talent, no audience, no life."

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the first guy in U.S. who lost his show because we have a president who can't stand a joke.