Stephen Colbert accepts the Emmy on Sunday night for outstanding talk series. (CBS)
It’s no surprise that “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” took home an Emmy on Sunday night for outstanding talk series. Even competitor Jimmy Kimmel had rented out a Hollywood billboard announcing that he was “voting for Stephen.”
But few could have guessed that the host would drop a reference to Prince.
The 61-year-old entertainer wrapped up his two-minute acceptance speech by incorporating a few lines from “Let’s Go Crazy.”
“My friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong. Be brave,” he said. “And if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor!”
On paper, the big winners at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were “The Studio,” “Adolescence” and “The Pitt.” But no one was better received than Colbert, whose show will leave the air in May 2026.
CBS announced two months ago that it was eliminating the “Late Show” franchise because of financial costs, although there’s been a lot of speculation that the network buckled under pressure from the Trump administration, which didn’t appreciate Colbert’s jokes at President Donald Trump’s expense.
Colbert appeared early in the Emmy broadcast to present the award for best actor in a comedy series and ended up getting more applause than winner Seth Rogen (no need to feel sorry for the actor as his freshman show, “The Studio,” wound up with 13 wins, the most ever for a comedy series in one season).
Colbert poked gentle fun at his predicament, pointing out that he’ll soon need a new gig. He pulled out a dated headshot and asked Harrison Ford to recommend him to Steven Spielberg.
But when “The Late Show” was named best outstanding talk series, the first time that’s happened in the show’s 10-year run, Colbert focused on being gracious.
“I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we’re no longer doing this show,” he said.
Colbert also paid tribute to his longtime assistant Amy Cole, who died this past March.
Most viewers probably missed his most rebellious reference.
He identified some of his behind-the-scenes team as “the pros from Dover”: That’s a line Hawkeye Pierce uses to sneak his way into establishment golf clubs in the 1970 movie “M*A*S*H.”
Host Nate Bargatze didn’t get quite as much love, but the celebrity crowd seemed tickled by his gentle ribbing at the industry and a running bit in which he punished winners who went over their allotted speaking time by reducing his financial pledge to the Boys & Girls Club of America.
Bargatze, the hottest comic in the country, will perform in Rochester on Wednesday, his third appearance in the state this year.
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