Bill Maher Blames Telling The “Truth” For Lack of Awards, Disses Trevor Noah, John Oliver: “I Don’t Perform for Just One Half of the Country”

Bill Maher says his lack of awards recognition isn’t because his show is bad, it’s because he’s too real. The late night host, whose series Real Time with Bill Maher is now in its 20th season on HBO, compared his political talk show to programs from competitors like John Oliver and Trevor Noah while speaking with Chris Cuomo on the anchor’s NewsNation series.

While The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver are Emmys darlings, Real Time doesn’t see the same love, Cuomo pointed out.

“Looking at just a sheer metric of ratings, OK? You crush John Oliver regularly. Trevor Noah’s, you crush his numbers. You do not get nominated the way they do for Emmys,” Cuomo said, per Yahoo Entertainment.

He then asked Maher, “Why do you think you don’t get the shine that they do?”

His guest replied, “I tell the truth. I don’t perform for just one half of the country and say the things that will make them applaud, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Maher continued, “They’re very talented people you’re talking about, and do fine shows. But I just — this has always been my bond with the audience, which is much more important to me than an award, is that I will call it as I see it.”

While Maher’s series hasn’t been nominated for an Emmy in recent years, it has received recognition in the past. Real Time was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award every year between 2005 and 2014, and also received nominations in 2016 and 2017.

By comparison, Noah’s show has been nominated for 14 Emmys between 2018 and 2022, but has not won any awards. Oliver’s show has been nominated 57 times since 2015, and has won 26 Emmys, most recently taking home the 2022 award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.

Real Time with Bill Maher airs Fridays at 10/9c on HBO.