Even Saturday Night Live’s landmark 50th season wasn’t enough to dethrone Last Week Tonight with John Oliver at Sunday night’s 77th annual ceremony, as the HBO series claimed the prize for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series, extending its winning streak in the category and once again besting SNL.

The award was presented by Survivor host Jeff Probst in a tongue-in-cheek tribal council–themed segment. Probst said, “During Survivor’s 25 years on CBS, 50 seasons of our show, with the world watching, contestants must outwit, outplay, and outlast the competition until one takes home the prize. Tonight is no different… The sole survivor for the Scripted Variety Series trophy in Emmys’ 77th season is… Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”

As Oliver took the stage, he kept things short—and deliberately so, thanking only HBO, the show’s staff, and his wife and children.

Watch: John Oliver accepts Outstanding Scripted Variety Series at the 77th Emmy Awards pic.twitter.com/K9T7gSpZXE

— LateNighter (@latenightercom) September 15, 2025

It was a stark contrast to Oliver’s 2024 win, when he delivered a heartfelt tribute to his recently deceased dog—before being played off by the orchestra. That year, he made headlines for mock-scolding the band with a joking “F**k off” mid-speech, later admitting in the press room that he felt “slight relief” at the interruption because, as he put it, “I’m not well-versed in sincerity as a British person and as a comedian.”

This year, Oliver raced the clock on purpose, as his goal was to end quickly and maximize the amount of money The United Way would receive from Emmys host Nate Bargatze.

Oliver may not have been outwitted or outplayed, but for the second straight year, he outlasted SNL.