“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series in September 2025, weeks after CBS announced it would end the show, and the audience gave Colbert a standing ovation. Fox News host Greg Gutfeld, whose show has regularly led late-night ratings, was not nominated.
Stephen Colbert accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards on September 14 for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a program CBS had already announced it would end. The audience gave him a standing ovation, NBC News reported. Greg Gutfeld, whose Fox News program “Gutfeld!” has regularly drawn more viewers than its network late-night rivals, was not nominated.
The contrast has renewed a familiar debate over whether awards reflect critical judgment, audience size or the politics of the people voting.
Colbert’s Emmy Win
In his acceptance speech, Colbert thanked his staff and crew and quoted a Prince lyric about refusing to be brought down. The award was the first Outstanding Talk Series win for “The Late Show,” which had been nominated many times before.
CBS announced in July 2025 that “The Late Show” would end in May 2026, describing the decision as purely financial. Critics of the decision questioned its timing, which came shortly after Colbert criticized a legal settlement between CBS’s parent company, Paramount, and President Trump. CBS has said the cancellation was not related to the show’s content or performance.
Gutfeld’s Ratings
“Gutfeld!”, which airs at 10 p.m. ET on Fox News, has frequently drawn more total viewers than the broadcast network late-night shows, according to Nielsen figures. The show uses a panel format, with Gutfeld and guests joking about the day’s news from a conservative and libertarian perspective. Gutfeld has not been nominated for an Emmy for the program.
Different Audiences
Supporters of Gutfeld argue that the Television Academy overlooks conservative entertainers. Others note that Emmy voting is done by industry professionals judging craft rather than ratings, and that cable and broadcast audiences are not directly comparable because the shows air at different times.
Beyond Nielsen
Online, the picture is different. “The Late Show” has a large YouTube following, with more than 10 million subscribers, and its monologue clips regularly draw millions of views. Colbert’s audience tends to watch a large share of his content online, while much of Gutfeld’s audience watches the live broadcast.
Prestige and Profit
The Emmy for a show that is ending highlights a long-running tension in television between critical prestige and profitability. Late-night shows on broadcast networks have seen advertising revenue fall as viewers move to streaming and online clips, and some are expensive to produce. Cable panel shows like “Gutfeld!” generally have lower production costs.
The Politics of Late Night
Late-night comedy has become more politically divided in recent years. Colbert’s comedy frequently targets President Trump and Republicans, while Gutfeld’s often targets Democrats and the media. Supporters of each host see the Emmy result differently: Gutfeld’s fans view it as evidence of bias in Hollywood, while Colbert’s supporters see it as recognition of the show’s quality.
Conclusion
Colbert’s Emmy and Gutfeld’s ratings measure different kinds of success. One reflects the judgment of industry peers, the other the size of a nightly television audience. As audiences continue to split across cable, broadcast and online platforms, the debate over which matters more is likely to continue.
Source: NBC News
No talent is the key…. Just badmouth the President and you win over a man that actualy has talent.0