Stephen Colbert Receives WGA East’s Walter Bernstein Award and Shares Insightful Thoughts on Change in Media

At the recent Walter Bernstein Award ceremony hosted by the Writers Guild of America East, Stephen Colbert, outgoing host of the Late Show, took the stage to honor his staff while delivering a pointed critique of CBS’s parent company, Paramount.

While some may have anticipated a more scathing rebuke, Colbert’s remarks resonated deeply with the audience, earning him multiple standing ovations. Accepting an award named after a screenwriter who faced blacklisting during the McCarthy era, Colbert struck a balance, refraining from overt martyrdom but still not shying away from addressing his soon-to-be former employers.

“This is not the 1950s,” he quipped. “This is not the Red Scare. And, as far as I can tell, no one in late-night is fomenting a revolution. As we know, the revolution will not be televised. It was going to be televised, and then Paramount bought it.”

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His audience responded enthusiastically, applauding and cheering as he referenced financial concerns cited by the network regarding The Late Show: “Evidently, the revolution was losing, like, $40 million a year — it had to go. I hear the revolution is thinking of starting a Substack.”

Comedy writer Robert Smigel, who presented the award to Colbert, remarked in his introduction, “You can just feel the gravitas!” The decision by CBS to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert shortly before Paramount’s merger with Skydance cast a long shadow over the evening, though Colbert avoided delving into the details and did not mention the $110 billion merger agreement recently announced with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Smigel’s introduction highlighted key milestones in Colbert’s career, including his early work on The Dana Carvey Show and his subsequent roles on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as well as his transition to CBS.

During his acceptance speech on March 8, Colbert garnered laughs with playful innuendo: “Of course, no one achieves success in this business by themselves, late-night hosts especially. We hosts are merely the tip of the iceberg, though the tip is the most sensitive part.”

He also shared humorous anecdotes about jokes cut by Paramount, including sharp commentaries on the Dobbs decision, Kristi Noem’s alleged affair, and Donald Trump’s remarks about his daughter Ivanka. Among these was a joke written by female staffers during the #MeToo era that commented on Louis C.K.: “Oh my God, he masturbates like a toddler poops.”

Colbert disclosed another joke about OpenAI, which included a humorous twist around a new McDonald’s slogan. Despite its earlier approval, he had initially nixed it, only to find it resurfacing during rehearsal and later as a holiday gift from staffers, which featured the McDonald’s logo alongside an irreverent caption.

He ended his 15-minute speech with heartfelt acknowledgments of his writers, saying, “If you liked any of these ideas, please employ these lovely folks. They are the best writing staff I have ever known at any show, and I have loved our time together.”

Colbert reflected on the bittersweet nature of his departure, noting the challenges of being unable to join his writers in their creative space. “What is really going to be hard is missing these people, who despite the fresh hell — whatever it is — that the news washes in, make that beautiful sound happen every day,” he said, expressing gratitude to his team, the guild, and Walter Bernstein.

Established in 2017, the Bernstein Award recognizes a member who has shown creativity, grace, and bravery in addressing social injustice amidst adversity. The honor is not given annually and has previously been awarded to Jelani Cobb and Ron Nyswaner.

WGAE President Tom Fontana underscored Colbert’s recognition, linking it to his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump and notably, Paramount Global’s recent settlement of $16 million with the former president over the edited interview with Kamala Harris aired by CBS News’ 60 Minutes.