Let me first say, I am not a frequent award show viewer, but this year’s Emmys sent a message beyond its own circle of influence.
The Emmys handed out some well-deserved statement wins to varying TV series that carried more political capital than many of the more popularly-supported ones did.
While the surface level of this year’s show was geared towards award-winning giants like “Severence,” “Adolescense,” and “The Pitt,” there was more going on beneath the surface.
One of the dark horse candidates with many of their chips in the political basket was Tony Gilroy’s “Andor.” A story that won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, as well as four other Emmys, including costume design and cinematography. On a base-level, “Andor” is a story of the early, gritty, foundations of a rebellion, placed in the Star Wars universe.
It carries an unyielding message of resistance against oppression and the preservation of freedom of speech. “Andor” makes striking, but intricate, commentary on countless modern political topics, while simultaneously holding the series within the Star Wars universe.
Another critically acclaimed, unapologetically political show won its first Emmy of its 10 year-span that night, ironically, right after being dropped because of federal pressure.
That talk show, of course, was “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The Late Show was cancelled on July 17, 2025, with Colbert remaining on the show until May 2026. The cancellation was over the backdrop of a merger between The Late Show’s parent company, Paramount, and Skydance Media. A merger that required federal approval, which was given just a week later–after the repeated calls by President Donald Trump for the show to be cut.
Now, two months later, that same show has won its first Emmy.
This hit news all over the country, a celebration of the freedom of expression, even under a dark shroud of federal suppression. Just a week later, “Jimmy Kimmel, Live!” was cancelled as a result of federal threats of punishment towards their parent company, ABC.
Even in a time of monotonous federal overreach and suppression of the First Amendment, The Emmys still found time to celebrate the freedom of speech and some of its most prestigious products.
