By Divya Verma

Copyright inquisitr

Award ceremonies come and go every year. While sometimes they have one of two exemplary moments to remember them by, sometimes they just get lost in the dust of many awards and speeches.

Emmy 2025 will be talked about for a long time, and mainly because of Stephen Colbert. CBS let go of Colbert and canceled his show, and in June 2026, the show will air its last episode.

Ever since the announcement of the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was made, the host of the show, Colbert, has been trolling the government ruthlessly.

And when he stood on the stage of Emmy 2025 as the presenter, he received a standing ovation. Not only for his dedicated work over the years, but also for his reliability, intellect, and comedy that could shake administrations.

At the 2025 Emmy Awards, Stephen Colbert delivered one of the most talked-about moments of the night. The crowd rose in applause and began chanting “Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!” just as he stepped onstage to present the award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.

Here’s Stephen Colbert earning a massive standing ovation at the #Emmys and jokes “Is anyone hiring?”
RETWEET if you stand with Stephen Colbert!
pic.twitter.com/2TsmNSycYi
— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) September 15, 2025

Colbert used his time to let people know that he and his team are ready to be hired.

On stage, he cheekily held up an old headshot and resumed and quipped, “Is anyone hiring? Because I’ve got 200 very well-qualified candidates with me here tonight who will be available in June.”

He then gave the paper to Harrison Ford, asking him to pass it on to Steven Spielberg. If this was planned, it was effective, and if it was not, Mr. Ford played along the bit to the T. It was dramatic and humorous and elicited applause from the audience.

Colbert, along with other late-night show hosts, has been critical of the current administration.

TONIGHT: Stephen holds former VP @JoeBiden‘s feet to the fire over his recent string of gaffes on the campaign trail. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/qQ8rrvdGgb
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) September 5, 2019

Though as part of his job, Stephen has poked fun at all the previous presidents, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, too. However, his criticism of Donald Trump didn’t sit well with the current president, who found great happiness upon the cancellation of the show.

CBS’s parent company, Paramount, had given in to the threats of the Trump administration and settled for $16 million with Donald Trump. Colbert had been extremely critical of this action, which apparently led to the cancellation of the show.

Late night TV hosts Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and Jon Stewart all showed up to Stephen Colbert’s show tonight to show solidarity after CBS cancelled it. pic.twitter.com/WgtBPxqk2u
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 22, 2025

CBS cited financial reasons for ending the show, but people familiar with Colbert’s clashes with Trump feel differently.

At the Emmys, his moment on stage was less about him trying to find a job and more about CBS’s inability to stand on its feet and bow down to the administration’s threat.
The standing ovation from dozens of artists and A-listers confirmed which side Hollywood stands on. People have been critical of CBS’s decision of letting the talk show host go.

Colbert later won the award for Outstanding Talk Series that night. If this were a telenovella, it would be the equivalent of a resounding slap from the female lead. Despite being cancelled, Colbert remains respected by the TV community.

“Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” said Late Night host Stephen Colbert while accepting the award for Outstanding Talk Series at the #Emmys.
🏆 https://t.co/W6ycBjo5Ju pic.twitter.com/rFtmjMj2mX
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 15, 2025

Stephen Colbert didn’t stand alone. He had the support and admiration of everyone. And this support didn’t just come from the audience. His colleagues across late-night television rallied behind him from the beginning. Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and many others have publicly defended Colbert since the cancellation announcement.

Jimmy Kimmel went one step ahead and even mocked CBS’s decision. He hired billboard ads to encourage Emmy voters to support Colbert. These gestures suggest that among Hollywood’s powerful and public figures, Colbert has become something of a cause. If Hollywood ever needed a reason to rally against Trump, they have it now.

Colbert’s night became less about endings and more about what Hollywood values when it comes to choosing between courage and compliance.