Pat Sajak scores first Emmy in 26 years for final season hosting game show Wheel Of Fortune
Pat Sajak won the award for Outstanding Game Show Host at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday.
It is the first time in 26 years that the 77-year-old Wheel of Fortune TV personality has won the award, the last time being in 1998.
Sajak began hosting the beloved series in 1981 and officially retired in June 2024. Ryan Seacrest will take over the series starting September 9.
He was not there to accept the prize, 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 the award for Outstanding Game Show Host at the Daytime Emmys in 1993, 1997 and 1998.
Pat Sajak won the award for Outstanding Game Show Host at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday
This is the first time in 26 years that the 77-year-old Wheel of Fortune personality has won the award; pictured with co-star Vanna White
This came after Sajak received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards.
In 2023, the Daytime Emmys were replaced by the Primetime Emmys, with Palmer winning the award.
On June 7, Pat went to X to celebrate the end of his 40+ year career on the show.
He simply wrote, “Thank you so much” to his nearly 370,000 followers.
Though he’s done with Wheel of Fortune, the pop culture icon will host one final season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC this fall.
In June 2023, Pat announced that he would be leaving after the show’s 41st season ended.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which starts in September, will be my last,” he said at the time.
“It’s been a great ride, and I’ll have more to tell you in the coming months. Thank you all so much,” he added.
Pat has been nominated 23 times and previously won the 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 taking over as host starting September 9.
Pat became the host of Wheel of Fortune on December 28, 1981.
That happened after Chuck Woolery hosted the show from its premiere in 1975 until he left over a salary dispute.
The celebrity has worked for years with his daughter Maggie Sajak, who is the social media correspondent for the show.
Created by Merv Griffin, Wheel of Fortune is the longest-running game show in the United States.