Night’s best and worst moments

Colbert gets a standing ovation, and that clock gag gets annoying.

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STEPHEN COLBERT, center, received resounding applause after winning for talk series.

SUNDAY'S EMMY Awards had the usual mix of lighthearted moments and powerful speeches, along with some surprise wins in the acting categories. So if there's one thing we should always remember about television's biggest night, it’s this: What might seem predictable sometimes isn’t and that’s what makes this awards show worth watching.

Here, Times writers share their favorite moments of the night, and one that perhaps shouldn't be repeated.

BEST STANDING OVATION: STEPHEN COLBERT We knew going into the Emmys that Stephen Colbert would be on the receiving end of the night's biggest outpouring of love. But even knowing that, I wouldn't have guessed just how electrifying the ovation for Colbert would be when he won the talk series Emmy for his recently canceled late-night show. That the ceremony aired on CBS, the network that unceremoniously dumped him, offered a bit of delicious irony, as well as an opportunity for Colbert to air a grievance or two. But that's not the man's style.

Colbert said he initially wanted to make a late-night comedy show about love. But as the years passed in his 10-year run, he realized the show was really about loss.

"And that's related to love, because sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it," Colbert said. "And in September of 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America.

Stay strong, be brave." And one more thing, he added in a nod to Prince.

"If the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor." - Glenn Whipp