Stephen Colbert’s Standing Ovation at the Emmys Just Signaled a Major Shift in Late Night History

The 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards were met with mixed results. There were plenty of history-making wins, particularly Trammell Tillmanbeing the first Black actor to win an award — and a well-deserved one too, given his phenomenal work on Severance. On the other hand, moments like host Nate Bargatze's attempt to shorten the ceremony's runtime while also promoting charity, landed with a thud. The biggest star of the night was undoubtedly Stephen Colbert,who recieved a standing ovation when he took the stage to present awards. Colbert receving such a warm reception in the wake of The Late Show's cancellation, not to mention snagging the Emmy award for Outstanding Talk Series, proves that his legacy will last far after his show ends — and that's the greatest win of all.