Stephen Colbert Campaigns for Jimmy Kimmel to Win Emmy in Surprise Video

Stephen Colbert has returned the favor to his late-night compatriot Jimmy Kimmel by urging Emmy voters to throw their support behind Jimmy Kimmel Live! rather than his own Late Show.

On Tuesday (August 25), Colbert took to Instagram to share a video about who he’s voting for in this year’s Emmys. The former late-night host was seen sporting his new goatee while sitting on a cliff’s edge and typing on a laptop. “Oh hi, Stephen Colbert here, at the end of the world,” he told his followers.

“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 continued. “First up we have Outstanding Variety Series… 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,” he added before flipping the laptop around to show a photo of Kimmel. “Besides, look how cute he is! Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy. I do. I love you.”

Colbert is returning the favor after Kimmel endorsed The Late Show for Outstanding Talk Series at last year’s Emmys. Kimmel urged his viewers to support Colbert after CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show after 33 years. The ABC host even put up a billboard in West Hollywood of his own face, saying, “I’m voting for Stephen.”

The Late Show ultimately won the category.

However, this year things are a little different, as the Television Academy has merged the talk and scripted variety categories into Outstanding Variety Series. This year’s nominees are Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live.

Kimmel previously shared his own For Your Consideration video, featuring a montage of clips of President Donald Trump attacking the host and his show. The video ends with Trump telling members of the press, “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”

“Thank you, Mr President, for your consideration #FYC,” Kimmel captioned the post.

Meanwhile, last week Colbert accepted two Television Critics Association awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch and the 2026 TCA Career Achievement Award “for his contributions to the medium over the past three decades — from voiceover rolls, to sketch performer, satirist, and one of America’s most trusted talk show hosts.”