Pat Sajak won Outstanding Host for a Game Show at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday.
It’s the first time the 77-year-old Wheel of Fortune TV personality has scored the award in 26 years, the last time being in 1998.
Sajak began hosting the beloved series in 1981 and officially retired in June 2024, with Ryan Seacrest set to take over beginning September 9.
He was not in attendance to accept the award — which he won over Family Feud’s Steve Harvey, Jeopardy’s Ken Jennings, Password’s Keke Palmer, and Weakest Link’s Jane Lynch.
Pat has been nominated 23 times and previously won Outstanding Game Show Host at the Daytime Emmys in 1993, 1997, and 1998.
Pat Sajak won Outstanding Host for a Game Show at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday
This marks the first time the 77-year-old longtime Wheel of Fortune personality has scored the award in 26 years; pictured with co-star Vanna White
It comes after Sajak received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards.
The award category switched from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys in 2023 and Palmer won the honor at the time.
On June 7, Pat took to X to acknowledge the end of his more than 40-year run on the show.
He simply wrote, ‘Thank you all so very much,’ to his nearly 370,000 followers.
Despite wrapping up his time on Wheel of Fortune, the pop culture icon will carry out a final season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC this fall.
In June 2023 Pat announced he was leaving after the 41st season of the show was finished.
‘Well the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,’ he said at the time.
‘It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all,’ he added.
Pat has been nominated 23 times and previously won Outstanding Game Show Host Daytime Emmys in 1993, 1997, and 1998
Sajak received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards
Sajak began hosting the beloved series in 1981 and officially retired in June 2024, with Ryan Seacrest set to take over beginning September 9
Pat became the host of Wheel of Fortune on December 28, 1981.
It was after Chuck Woolery hosted from the show’s premiere in 1975 until he left over a salary dispute.
The famous figure’s longtime gig even extended to his daughter Maggie Sajak, who is the social media correspondent for the show.
Wheel of Fortune was created by Merv Griffin and is the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk