The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series was an award presented to the best television variety-style talk show of the year.
History In 2015, Outstanding Variety Series was separated into two categories, Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Variety Talk Series.
In 2023, the category was renamed Outstanding Talk Series.
In 2026, the split was reversed and the categories were remerged with Outstanding Variety Series returning at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Winners and nominations 2010s Year Program Producers NetworkOutstanding Variety Talk Series 2015(67th) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Jon Stewart, executive producer/host; Adam Lowitt, Jennifer Flanz, Steve Bodow, Tim Greenberg and Jill Katz, executive producers; Hillary Kun, co-executive producer; Stuart Miller, Pamela DePace and Justin Melkmann, supervising producers; Kahane Cooperman, producer Comedy Central The Colbert Report Stephen Colbert, executive producer/host; Jon Stewart and Tom Purcell, executive producers; Meredith Bennett, Emily Lazar and Barry Julien, co-executive producers; Tanya Bracco, Paul Dinello and Matt Lappin, supervising producers Comedy Central Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel, executive producer/host; Jill Leiderman, executive producer; Doug DeLuca, Jason Schrift, Erin Irwin and David Craig, co-executive producers; Gary Greenberg, supervising producer; Jennifer Sharron, Tony Romero, Molly McNearney, Josh Weintraub, Ken Crosby and Seth Weidner, producers ABC Last Week Tonight with John Oliver John Oliver, executive producer/host; Tim Carvell, executive producer; Liz Stanton, co-executive producer HBO Late Show with David Letterman Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Rob Burnett and Maria Pope, executive producers; Nancy Agostini, co-executive producer; Jerry Foley, Kathy Mavrikakis, Sheila Rogers and Brian Teta, supervising producers; Michael Buczkiewicz, producer; David Letterman, host CBS The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Lorne Michaels, executive producer; Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen and Brian McDonald, supervising producers; Gavin Purcell, producer; Josh Lieb, produced by; Jimmy Fallon, Host NBC 2016(68th) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver John Oliver, executive producer/host; Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers; Diane Fitzgerald, producer HBO Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Jerry Seinfeld, produced by/host; Melissa Miller, Tammy Johnston, Denis Jensen, George Shapiro and Howard West, produced by Crackle Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel, executive producer/host; Jill Leiderman, executive producer; Doug DeLuca, Jason Schrift, Erin Irwin and David Craig, co-executive producers; Gary Greenberg and Jennifer Sharron, supervising producers; Tony Romero, Molly McNearney, Josh Weintraub, Ken Crosby and Seth Weidner, producers ABC The Late Late Show with James Corden Rob Crabbe and Ben Winston, executive producers; Mike Gibbons, co-executive producers; Sheila Rogers, Michael Kaplan, Jeff Kopp and Josie Cliff, supervising producers; David Javerbaum, producer; James Corden, producer/host CBS Real Time with Bill Maher Bill Maher, executive producer/host; Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Brad Grey, Marc Gurvitz, Billy Martin and Dean E. Johnsen, executive producers; Chris Kelly, co-executive producer; Matt Wood, producer HBO The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Lorne Michaels, executive producer; Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Brian McDonald and Maria Pope, supervising producers; Gavin Purcell, producer; Josh Lieb, produced by; Jimmy Fallon, host NBC 2017(69th) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver John Oliver, executive producer/host; Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers HBO Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Samantha Bee, executive producer/host; Jo Miller, Jason Jones, Tony Hernandez and Miles Kahn, executive producers; Pat King, supervising producer; Alison Camillo and Kristen Everman, producers TBS Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel, executive producer/host; Jill Leiderman, executive producer; Jason Schrift, Doug DeLuca, Erin Irwin and David Craig, co-executive producers; Gary Greenberg, Tony Romero and Jennifer Sharron, supervising producers; Ken Crosby, Molly McNearney, Seth Weidner and Josh Weintraub, producers ABC The Late Late Show with James Corden Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe, executive producers; Amy Ozols, co-executive producer; Josie Cliff, Sheila Rogers, Michael Kaplan, James Longman and Jeff Kopp, supervising producers; James Corden, producer/host; Diana Miller, producerCBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Stephen Colbert, executive producer/host; Chris Licht, Tom Purcell and Jon Stewart, executive producers; Barry Julien, co-executive producer; Denise Rehrig, Aaron Cohen, Paul Dinello, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Emily Gertler and Liz Levin, supervising producers; Paige Kendig and Jake Plunkett, producers Real Time with Bill Maher Bill Maher, executive producer/host; Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Billy Martin, Dean E. Johnsen, executive producers; Chris Kelly, co-executive producer; Matt Wood, producer HBO 2018(70th) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver John Oliver, executive producer/host; Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers HBO The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Trevor Noah, executive producer/host; Steve Bodow, Jen Flanz and Jill Katz, Executive Producer; Justin Melkmann, co-executive producer; Max Browning, Eric Davies, Pamela DePace, Ramin Hedayati and Elise Terrell, supervising producers; Zhubin Parang and David Kibuuka, producers Comedy Central Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Samantha Bee, executive producer/host; Jason Jones, Tony Hernandez, Miles Kahn, Alison Camillo and Pat King, executive producers; Allana Harkin and Chris Savage, producers TBS Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel, executive producer/host; Jill Leiderman, executive producer; Jason Schrift, Doug DeLuca, Erin Irwin, David Craig and Jennifer Sharron, co-executive producers; Gary Greenberg and Tony Romero, supervising producers; Ken Crosby, Molly McNearney, Seth Weidner and Josh Weintraub, producers ABC The Late Late Show with James Corden Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe, executive producers; Sheila Rogers, Michael Kaplan, Matt Roberts, James Longman, Josie Cliff and Jeff Kopp, supervising producers; James Corden, producer/host; Diana Miller, producerCBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Stephen Colbert, executive producer/host; Chris Licht, Tom Purcell and Jon Stewart, executive producers; Barry Julien and Denise Rehrig, co-executive producers; Aaron Cohen, senior supervising producer; Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Paul Dinello, Emily Gertler, Matt Lappin and Opus Moreschi, supervising producers; Michael Brumm, Paige Kendig and Jake Plunkett, producers 2019(71st) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver John Oliver, executive producer/host; Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers; Jeremy Tchaban, supervising producer HBO The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Trevor Noah, executive producer/host; Steve Bodow, Jen Flanz and Jill Katz, executive producers; Justin Melkmann, co-executive producer; David Kibuuka, Max Browning, Eric Davies, Pamela DePace, Ramin Hedayati and Elise Terrell, supervising producers; Jocelyn Conn and Zhubin Parang, producers Comedy Central Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Samantha Bee, executive producer/host; Jason Jones, Tony Hernandez, Miles Kahn, Alison Camillo, Pat King and Melinda Taub, executive producers; Chris Savage, Allana Harkin and Kim Burdges; producers TBS Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel, executive producer/host; Jill Leiderman, executive producer; Doug DeLuca, Erin Irwin, David Craig, Molly McNearney and Jennifer Sharron, co-executive producers; Gary Greenberg, Tony Romero and Josh Weintraub, supervising producers; Ken Crosby, Seth Weidner and Danny Ricker, producers ABC The Late Late Show with James Corden Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe, executive producers; James Longman, co-executive producer; Sheila Rogers, Josie Cliff and Jeff Kopp, supervising producers; James Corden, producer/host; Diana Miller, producerCBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Stephen Colbert, executive producer/host; Chris Licht, Tom Purcell and Jon Stewart, executive producers; Barry Julien and Denise Rehrig, co-executive producers; Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Paul Dinello, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi and Emily Gertler, supervising producers; Aaron Cohen, supervising producer/producer; Paige Kendig, Jake Plunkett, Michael Brumm and Bjoern Stejskal, producers
2020s