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, a satirical news program on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014, 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.
2000: Emmy Awards for The Daily Show
In 2000, Stephen Colbert and the other Daily Show writers received three Emmy Awards as writers for The Daily Show.
2004: Coverage of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections and Emmy Win
In 2004, Stephen Colbert reported from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions for the Daily Show, and some of those reports were included in The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 DVD. Additionally, Colbert won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show.
2005: Emmy Win
In 2005, Colbert won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show.
2005: Emmy Awards for The Daily Show and Satellite Award Nomination
In 2005, Stephen Colbert and the other Daily Show writers received an Emmy Awards as writers for The Daily Show and he was nominated for a Satellite Award for his performance on The Colbert Report.
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: 2nd Sexiest TV News Anchor
In September 2006, Stephen Colbert was named the 2nd Sexiest TV News Anchor by Maxim.
October 30, 2006: Custody Agreement for Emmy Award
On October 30, 2006, Barry Manilow and Stephen Colbert jokingly signed and notarized a revolving biannual custody agreement for the Emmy on The Colbert Report episode.
November 2006: "Sexy Surprise" by People
In November 2006, Stephen Colbert was named a "sexy surprise" by People in the Sexiest Man Alive honors.
December 2006: "Men of the Year" by GQ
In the December 2006 issue of GQ, Stephen Colbert was named one of GQ's "Men of the Year".
2006: Emmy Win
In 2006, Colbert won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show.
2006: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2006, Stephen Colbert was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.
March 3, 2007: Person of the Year by the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
On March 3, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Person of the Year by the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado.
March 20, 2007: Stephen Colbert Day in Oshawa
On March 20, 2007, Oshawa Mayor John Gray declared March 20, 2007 (the mayor's own birthday), Stephen Colbert Day, honoring a previous bet with Stephen.
March 24, 2007: Speaker of the Year Award
On March 24, 2007, Stephen Colbert was given the Speaker of the Year Award by The Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) for his "drive to expose the rhetorical shortcomings of contemporary political discourse".
June 13, 2007: Gutsiest Move Award
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: Celebrity of the Year
On December 20, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press.
2007: Emmy Nomination
In 2007, Colbert was nominated for an Emmy for The Colbert Report.
2007: "I Am America (And So Can You!)" Bestseller
In 2007, Stephen Colbert's book 'I Am America (And So Can You!)' reached 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.
2008: Emmy Nomination
In 2008, Colbert was nominated for an Emmy for The Colbert Report.
2008: Donorschoose.org partnership
In 2008, Stephen Colbert partnered with Donorschoose.org again, encouraging Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton supporters to donate to Pennsylvania classroom projects in honor of their preferred candidate. This initiative, framed as a "straw poll that makes a difference," resulted in Colbert viewers donating $185,000 to projects benefiting 43,000 students in Pennsylvania public schools.
January 2010: Grammy Award for Best 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: 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, Stephen Colbert was again named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.
2012: Maxim's Hot 100 List
In 2012, Stephen Colbert was listed as No. 69 on Maxim Magazine's Hot 100, becoming the first man to be included on the list.
January 2013: Rolling Stone's "The 50 Funniest People Now"
In January 2013, Rolling Stone named Stephen Colbert number 2 in their "The 50 Funniest People Now" list.
December 2014: Paste's Best Twitter Accounts
In December 2014, Paste named Stephen Colbert's Twitter one of "The 75 Best Twitter Accounts of 2014" ranking it at number 7.
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.
2015: Honorary Degree from Wake Forest University
Stephen Colbert received an honorary degree from Wake Forest University as the 2015 commencement speaker.
December 2017: GQ's "Men of the Year"
Stephen Colbert was chosen as one of GQ's "Men of the Year" for its December 2017 issue.
2018: Vanity Fair's "New Establishment List"
In 2018, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 32 in Vanity Fair's "2018 New Establishment List".
2019: "The 35 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: "The 35 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: Honorary Patron of the University Philosophical Society
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 as a guest at a New York Public Radio fundraising gala for his commitment to free speech, where he expressed support for public broadcasting.
December 2025: Ripple of Hope Award
In December 2025, Stephen Colbert will receive the Ripple of Hope Award granted by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization.
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