Big accolades go to Colbert, Stiff, more

MORNING HEADLINES | A couple of Charlestonians took home Emmy Awards this week, including local celebrity Stephen Colbert, whose “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won “Outstanding Variety Series” – despite this year’s controversial cancellation of the program by CBS.

“Free speech is alive and well,” Colbert said after the awards show, adding that late-night comedic television remained important. “I think that late night is just as funny and just as vital as it ever has been, and I love watching Jimmy and Jimmy and John and John and Seth and everybody else. And I think I hope it goes on for a long time because you get to work with people like this, and that’s the greatest gift.”

College of Charleston alumna Liz Stiff also won the Emmy for “Outstanding Sports Documentary: Long” for her work on the sports documentary, “Champions of the Golden Valley,” for which she served as an executive producer alongside the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history, Malala Yousafzai.

Stiff graduated from the College of Charleston in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

“Independent docs live or die by the coalition around them,” Stiff told The College Today. “My job was to think about audiences, acquisition and distribution – to get the right reporters, human rights groups and refugee organizations into screenings so they could see the film as a tool to further their mission.”

Meanwhile, two Charleston James Beard Award finalists earned more accolades. Merci was named on The New York Times‘ annual America’s Best Restaurants list for 2026, while Zachary and Hannah Welton of Weltons Tiny Bakeshop were listed on Food and Wine magazine’s 38th class of best new chefs.

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In recent headlines

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CALENDAR: How to find cool things to do around town

Our online events calendar has scores of events around the Lowcountry every day, making it the most detailed calendar of what’s happening in the area. Just click on “Events” above at right under the black toolbar. You’ll be amazed at what you find.