Sunday, October 4, 2026

Stephen Colbert celebrates 'The Late Show' winning seven Emmy Awards on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

I promised "more Emmy Awards coverage as the Sunday entertainment feature" and I'm delivering, beginning with Stephen Colbert on the Emmys, His Wife Hating His Beard & Gifting Jimmy His Captain America Shield on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Stephen Colbert talks about The Late Show winning seven Emmys, what he’s doing with his suits from the show, Jimmy spilling wine on him at a wedding, wearing a tan suit to an event for President Obama, writing a new Lord of The Rings movie with his son, his son John calls to re-enact him getting pulled over in New Zealand, Stephen shaves off his beard, and Stephen has a very special gift for Jimmy.
I'm glad Stephen is enjoying his forced retirement, including writing a new Lord of the Rings movie.* The rest of us miss him.

Follow over the jump as I re-examine the predictions from 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's final Emmy nominations as updated in It's Saturday, so here are SNL's eleven Emmy nominations.


I wrote "Gold Derby is predicting that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will win" Outstanding Variety Series.

Stephen Colbert accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at the 78th Emmys.
As I wrote in Randy Rainbow sings 'Dummy with the Wig On Top' plus the short form winners at the Emmys, where I recognized the seventh Emmy that Stephen counted, "That was (bitter) sweet. Congratulations and may all of them contribute to other shows, making their digital presence better." The writers already contributed to the Emmy Awards and improved it compared to previous years.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!: "Guests: Robert De Niro as The New FCC Chair, Glen Powell, and Musical Guest Sarah McLachlan" – Andy Fisher (ABC)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale" – Yvonne De Mare (CBS)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Olivia Rodrigo" – Liz Patrick (NBC)
Every editor, 90% of experts, and 73.6% of Gold Derby users selected Saturday Night Live to win, while the remaining 10% of editors and 25.6% of users like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and only 0.8% of users are behind Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Saturday Night Live is bleeding support to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as the former has retained 61.5% of experts, 71.4% of editors, and 72.1% of users, while the latter now has the votes of 38.5% of experts, 28.6% of editors, and 26.4% of users. Some users have even drifted to Jimmy Kimmel Live! with 1.4%.
The prognosticators were shifting away from the eventual winner by the first night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, with 72.2% of experts, 77.8% of editors, and 76.3% of users sticking with Saturday Night Live while those supporting The Late Show with Stephen Colbert shrank to 27.8% of experts, 22.2% of editors, and 22.9% of users. The latter ended up being right. Watch Directing for a Variety Series: 78th Emmy Awards.

Yvonne De Mare accepts the Emmy for Directing for a Variety Series at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! – (ABC)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – (HBO)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – (CBS)
Every editor and expert at Gold Derby, along with 73.5% of users, think Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will walk off the podium with the Emmy statuette. I agree. I feel like telling the 26.1% of users who picked The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that being a sentimental favorite won't work in this category and to listen to the professionals.
The users are already shifting their preferences, as 77.2% now pick Last Week Tonight with John Oliver while 22.0% remain with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Gold Derby's oddsmakers continued to consolidate around the early favorite, as 83.3% of experts, 88.9% of editors, and 79.7% of users voted for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver while 16.7% of experts, 11.1% of editors, and 19.2% stuck with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Both they should be and I am glad they didn't listen to me, because the sentimental favorite won. Watch Writing for a Variety Series: 78th Emmy Awards.

The team from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert accepts the Emmy for Writing for a Variety Series at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Look at all those writers! Congratulations!
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment)
  • The Daily Show: "RFK Hospital: An Original Series Inspired by the Medical Advice of RFK Jr. – Nikolai Johnson (Comedy Central)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: "Moon Mammoths Game Documentary" – Ryan Barger (HBO)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show closes out its storied run at the Ed Sullivan Theater with help from Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello" – Andrew Matheson and Amanda Sprecher (CBS)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Home Alone" – Ryan Spears (NBC)
  • Saturday Night Live: "MAHAspital (The New Pitt)" – Christopher Salerno and Mak Makower (NBC)
SNL won this award for its 50th anniversary special last year and The Daily Show the year before, so they're the co-favorites. I plan on writing one of these posts for SNL, so I'm waiting until then to make a call.
...
Maybe The Late Show has a better chance at Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment) than I thought.
It did. Watch Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment): 78th Emmy Awards.

Andrew Matheson and Amanda Sprecher accepts the Emmy for Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment) at the 78th Emmy Awards.
I really thought SNL would win for "MAHAspital," but I'm glad to be wrong. Congratulations!
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series
  • The Daily Show: "Episode 30105" – Michael Williams, Jeff Latonero, Matt Muro, Phil Salanto, Michael Schmehl, Tim Quigley, and Rich York (Comedy Central)
  • Dancing with the Stars: "20th Birthday Party" – Charles Ciup, Ron Brasi, Daryl Studebaker, Bettina Levesque, Kary D'Alessandro, Bruce Green, Rob Palmer, Daniel Schade, Nathanial Havholm, Mike Carr, Ed Horton, Easter Xua, Brian Reason, Adam Margolis, Jonas Brueling, Dave Levisohn, Jimmy Garcia, Damien Tuffereau, Emilie Pesante, and Ron Lehman (ABC)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!: "Guests: Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Kumail Nanjiani, Josh Meyers, and Musical Guest Reneé Rapp" – Ervin Hurd, David Fernandez, Tim Farmer, Steve Garrett, Mark Gonzales, Greg Grouwinkel, Garrett Hurt, Kris Wilson, Bernd Reinhardt, and Marc Stumpo (ABC)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale" – Karen Obel Cape, Brian Cimino, Joe Debonis, John Harrison, Dante Pagano, and John Hannel (CBS)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Olivia Rodrigo" – Bill DiGiovanni, John Pinto, Paul Cangialosi, Anthony Tarantino, Dave Driscoll, Brian Phraner, and Daniel Erbeck (NBC)
SNL won the past two years and Dancing with the Stars the year before those, so they're my co-favorites. Again, I'll wait until I write the SNL entry to make that call.
I didn't change my call, and I was wrong. Watch Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series: 78th Emmy Awards.

The team from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert accepts the Emmy for Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Surprise and congratulations!
Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Series
  • Dancing with the Stars: "20th Birthday Party" – Noah Mitz, Madigan Stehly, Hannah Kerman, Will Gossett, Patrick Brazil, Joe Holdman, Matt Benson, Matt McAdam, Alan Pineda, and Kevin Faust (ABC)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!: "Guests: Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Kumail Nanjiani, Josh Meyers, And Musical Guest Reneé Rapp" – Craig Housenick, Darien Koop, James Worman, Ruben Escobar, and Guy Jones (ABC)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "Guests: Bruce Springsteen, Special Surprise Guests" – Michael Scricca, Hillary Knox, Constantine Leonardos II, and Tom Carroll (CBS)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Ariana Grande" – Geoffrey Amoral, Rick McGuinness, Trevor Brown, Tim Stasse, William McGuinness, Frank Grisanti, and Reginald Campbell (NBC)
  • The Voice: "Finale Part 2" – Oscar Dominguez, Johnny Bradley, Ronald K. Wirsgalla, Erin Anderson, Daniel K. Boland, Phillip "Gene" Webber, Andrew Munie, Vanessa Arciga, Jeff Shood, and Terrance Ho (NBC)
SNL has won this award the past two years with only Dancing with the Stars among the current nominees winning this decade, so those are my choices for favorite.
I didn't change my call for this award, and I was wrong here, too. Watch Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series.

Michael Scricca, Hillary Knox, Constantine S. Leonardos and Tom Carroll accepts the Emmy for Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Again, surprise and congratulations!

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a shorter post tomorrow.

*Narb requested a Lord of the Rings 25th Anniversary post. It's now on my to-do list.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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