Lorne Michaels, John Oliver pay tribute to Norm Macdonald at the Emmys

As the comedy world continues to mourn Norm Macdonald, Emmy winners are paying tribute.
At Sunday's Emmys, Saturday Night Live won the award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. During his acceptance speech, show creator Lorne Michaels paid tribute to Macdonald, the former Saturday Night Live star who famously anchored "Weekend Update" in the 1990s. The comedian died on Sept. 14 after a private battle with cancer.
"'Weekend Update' has been part of SNL for 46 seasons, and here I'd like to pay tribute to one of the best we ever had, Norm Macdonald," Michaels said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver also paid tribute to Macdonald after accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, reflecting that "no one was funnier" on late night talk shows than him. Oliver joked during his speech that he hoped Conan O'Brien would have won the award instead of him, and he ultimately recommended viewers head to YouTube to watch classic clips of Macdonald on O'Brien's show.
"It just doesn't get better than that," he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Today's political cartoons - May 7, 2025
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - film industry tariffs, self-deportation, and more
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia