Stephen Colbert's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A closer look at the biggest achievements of Stephen Colbert. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.
Stephen Colbert is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He gained prominence as the host of The Colbert Report (2005-2014), a satirical news program on Comedy Central, where he portrayed a conservative pundit. Since 2015, he has hosted The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, a late-night talk show that blends comedy with political commentary and interviews. Colbert's work often involves satire, political humor, and insightful commentary on current events.
1995: Exit 57 Debut
In 1995, Exit 57 debuted on Comedy Central and received favorable reviews and was nominated for five CableACE Awards.
2000: Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2000, Stephen Colbert and the other Daily Show writers received three Emmy Awards for their writing on The Daily Show.
2004: The Daily Show's Coverage of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections and Emmy Award
In 2004, Stephen Colbert continued filing reports for The Daily Show's coverage of the U.S. presidential elections, some of which were included in 'The Daily Show: Indecision 2004' DVD release. Colbert also won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show in 2004.
2005: Emmy Award
In 2005, Stephen Colbert won an Emmy as a writer of The Daily Show.
January 2006: Truthiness Named Word of the Year
In January 2006, the American Dialect Society named "truthiness," a word coined by Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report, as its 2005 Word of the Year.
May 2006: Listed as Influential Person in Media
In May 2006, New York magazine listed Stephen Colbert (and Jon Stewart) as one of its top dozen influential persons in media.
June 2006: Honorary Doctorate from Knox College
In June 2006, Stephen Colbert received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from Knox College after speaking at the school's commencement ceremony.
September 2006: Named 2nd Sexiest TV News Anchor
In September 2006, Stephen Colbert was named the 2nd Sexiest TV News Anchor by Maxim.
November 2006: Named a "Sexy Surprise"
In November 2006, Stephen Colbert was named a "sexy surprise" by People in the Sexiest Man Alive honors.
December 2006: Named One of GQ's "Men of the Year"
In December 2006, Stephen Colbert was named one of GQ's "Men of the Year".
2006: White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
In 2006, Colbert performed as a featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which he did in character. This event led to the series becoming one of Comedy Central's highest-rated series.
2006: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2006, Colbert was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.
2006: Emmy Award
In 2006, Stephen Colbert won an Emmy as a writer of The Daily Show.
February 2007: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor Unveiled
In February 2007, Ben & Jerry's unveiled a new ice cream flavor in honor of Stephen Colbert, named Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream, with all proceeds going to charity.
March 20, 2007: Stephen Colbert Day in Oshawa
On March 20, 2007, Oshawa Mayor John Gray declared it Stephen Colbert Day, honoring a previous bet with Stephen after the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Oshawa Generals.
June 13, 2007: Honored for Gutsiest Move
On June 13, 2007, Stephen Colbert was honored for the Gutsiest Move on the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards for his performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
August 2007: "Air Colbert" Named by Virgin America
In August 2007, Virgin America named an airplane, "Air Colbert", in Stephen Colbert's honor.
December 20, 2007: Named Celebrity of the Year
On December 20, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press.
2007: I Am America! Best Seller
In 2007, Colbert's book I Am America (And So Can You!) was listed No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.
April 2, 2008: Peabody Award for The Colbert Report
On April 2, 2008, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award for The Colbert Report.
June 2, 2008: Delivered Princeton Class Day Address
On June 2, 2008, Stephen Colbert delivered the Class Day address to the graduating class of Princeton University and accepted the Class of 2008 Understandable Vanity Award.
2008: Colbert teams up with Donorschoose.org again
In 2008, Colbert teamed up with Donorschoose.org again, asking supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to donate to classrooms. Colbert created a "straw poll that makes a difference" leading up to the Pennsylvania primary, resulting in Colbert viewers donating $185,000 to projects reaching 43,000 students in Pennsylvania public schools.
April 14, 2009: NASA Renames Treadmill COLBERT
On April 14, 2009, NASA officially renamed its new treadmill, previously known as T-2, to "Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill", or COLBERT, in honor of Stephen Colbert's involvement in the Node 3 naming census for the ISS module, Tranquility.
January 2010: Grammy Award for Comedy Album
In January 2010, Stephen Colbert received the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his album A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!.
2011: Placement on Vanity Fair's New Establishment List
In 2011, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 28 in Vanity Fair's " New Establishment List".
2011: Commencement Speaker at Northwestern University
Stephen Colbert was the 2011 commencement speaker for Northwestern University, and received an honorary degree.
2012: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2012, Colbert was again named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.
January 2013: Named One of the Funniest People
In January 2013, Rolling Stone named Stephen Colbert number 2 in their "The 50 Funniest People Now" list.
December 2014: Twitter Account Recognized
In December 2014, Paste named Stephen Colbert's Twitter one of "The 75 Best Twitter Accounts of 2014" ranking it at number 7.
2015: Honorary Degree from Wake Forest University
In 2015, Stephen Colbert received an honorary degree from Wake Forest University as the commencement speaker.
2015: Outstanding Civilian Service Award
In 2015, Stephen Colbert was awarded the third highest honor within the Department of the Army Civilian Awards, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, for substantial contributions to the U.S. Army community.
December 2017: Named One of the Most Powerful People in New York Media
In December 2017, Stephen Colbert was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter and was chosen as one of GQ's "Men of the Year" for its December 2017 issue.
2018: Placement on Vanity Fair's New Establishment List
In 2018, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 32 in Vanity Fair's "2018 New Establishment List".
2019: Named One of the Most Powerful People in New York Media
In 2019, Stephen Colbert was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter.
May 2021: Honorary Degree from Yale University
In May 2021, Stephen Colbert received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yale University.
2022: Named One of the Most Powerful People in New York Media
In 2022, Stephen Colbert was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter.
December 11, 2023: Return to The Late Show
Stephen Colbert returned to The Late Show on December 11, 2023, after recovering from a ruptured appendix.
March 2025: Named Honorary Patron
In March 2025, Stephen Colbert was named Honorary Patron of the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.
November 2025: Honored at New York Public Radio Fundraising Gala
In November 2025, Stephen Colbert was honored at a New York Public Radio fundraising gala for his commitment to free speech.
December 2025: Ripple of Hope Award Recipient
In December 2025, Stephen Colbert would receive the Ripple of Hope Award granted by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization.
March 2026: Walter Bernstein Award Honoree
In March 2026, Stephen Colbert was honored with the "Walter Bernstein Award" at the 78th Writers Guild of America Awards. Also, according to an NBC poll, released in March 2026, Colbert alongside Pope Leo XIV were ranked as the most positive public figures amongst registered voters.
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