Stephen Colbert makes an unusual argument for why Jimmy Kimmel should win an Emmy in 2026. It’s striking, as Colbert’s own Late Show, which ended on CBS in May, is also nominated in the same category. The late-night hosts have long supported each other, with Kimmel even going dark the night Colbert’s final episode aired.
Stephen Colbert wants Jimmy Kimmel to win Emmy for a ‘cute’ reason
As the Emmy voting deadline nears, Stephen Colbert has endorsed Jimmy Kimmel for the newly restructured Outstanding Variety Series category.
In a clip shared on Instagram, Colbert, sporting a beard, sits outdoors on a windy shoreline, tablet in hand, introducing himself with a nod to his departure: “Stephen Colbert here, at the end of the world. You know, there’s 24 hours left in Emmy voting, and if you’re anything like me, you haven’t even started yet. So let’s get going.”
He goes on to say, “Kind of a weird voting system this year, but you know, I think we can all agree that Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy. I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show, you know he deserves an Emmy.”
The 62-year-old comedian then holds his tablet up to the lens, showing a photo of Kimmel and saying, “Besides, look how cute he is! Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy. I do. I love you.”
The endorsement is a payback of sorts. Last year, following CBS’s decision to end The Late Show, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were competing for Outstanding Talk Series, and Kimmel ran a very public campaign for his rival by placing a billboard in West Hollywood that showed him with the line: “I’m voting for Stephen.” Colbert ultimately won that year.
The late-night veterans are set to face off at the Emmys again this year under revised rules. According to Variety, the Television Academy combined its talk and scripted variety categories into Outstanding Variety Series, where the nominees are “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “The Daily Show,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”, and “Saturday Night Live.”
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
