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. Since 2015, he has hosted The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. Colbert's work is characterized by his sharp wit, political satire, and engaging interview style, making him a significant figure in American comedy and political commentary.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2004: Coverage of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections and Emmy Win

In 2004, Stephen Colbert filed reports from the floor of the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention as a part of The Daily Show's award-winning coverage of the 2004 U.S. presidential elections, many of which were included on the DVD release. He also won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show in 2004.

2005: Emmy Win for The Daily Show

In 2005, Stephen Colbert won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show.

May 2006: 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" by People

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 the December 2006 issue of GQ, Stephen Colbert was named one of GQ's "Men of the Year".

2006: White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Performance

In 2006, Stephen Colbert performed at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. This performance was later honored at the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards in 2007.

2006: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2006, Stephen Colbert was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.

2006: Emmy Win for The Daily Show

In 2006, Stephen Colbert won an Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show.

March 3, 2007: Person of the Year at 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, Stephen Colbert Day, honoring a previous bet with Stephen after the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Oshawa Generals in Ontario Junior League Hockey.

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: Airplane Named "Air Colbert"

In August 2007, Virgin America named an airplane, "Air Colbert", in Stephen Colbert's honor.

December 20, 2007: Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press

On December 20, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press.

2007: Peabody Award

In 2007, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award.

2007: I Am America No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list

In 2007, Stephen Colbert's book I Am America (And So Can You!) was listed No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

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April 2, 2008: Peabody Award for The Colbert Report

On April 2, 2008, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award for The Colbert Report.

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June 2, 2008: Princeton University 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: Spider Named After Colbert

In 2008, a species of California trapdoor spider was named Aptostichus stephencolberti in honor of Stephen Colbert. Other species named for Colbert in 2008 include a Venezuelan diving beetle and a Chilean stonefly.

April 14, 2009: NASA Treadmill Named COLBERT

On April 14, 2009, NASA renamed its new treadmill for the International Space Station the "Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill", or COLBERT, after Stephen Colbert showed interest in the Node 3 naming census for the ISS module Tranquility.

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!.

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2011: Peabody Award

In 2011, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award.

2011: Vanity Fair's New Establishment List

In 2011, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 28 in Vanity Fair's "2011 New Establishment List".

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2011: Commencement Speaker at Northwestern University

In 2011, Stephen Colbert was the commencement speaker for Northwestern University and received an honorary degree.

2012: Listed on Maxim's Hot 100

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.

2012: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People again

In 2012, Stephen Colbert was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, for a second time.

January 2013: Rolling Stone's Funniest People List

In January 2013, Rolling Stone named Stephen Colbert number 2 in their "The 50 Funniest People Now" list.

December 2014: Best Twitter Accounts of 2014

In December 2014, Paste named Stephen Colbert's Twitter one of "The 75 Best Twitter Accounts of 2014" ranking it at number 7.

2014: Wasp Named after Colbert

In 2014, a species of parasitic wasp from Ecuador, Aleiodes colberti, was named for Stephen Colbert, along with species named for other celebrities.

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.

2016: Rove Beetle Named after Colbert

In 2016, a rove beetle, Sonoma colberti, was named after Stephen Colbert's on-screen persona.

September 2017: Hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards

In September 2017, Stephen Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.

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".

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2019: 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.

2020: Peabody Award

In 2020, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award.

May 2021: Honorary Degree from Yale University

In May 2021, Stephen Colbert received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yale University.

2022: 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.

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.