On Sunday night, choreographer Derek Hough won the Emmy for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming for the "Paso Doble-Uccen/Tap Dance - Let's Fall in Love for the Night" routines on "Dancing with the Stars."
It was one of two Emmy nominations he received this year, the other for a Disney project he worked on.
This marks a third Emmy win for Hough, who is an 11-time nominee, making him the most nominated male choreographer in Television Academy history. But this year was different with art he created during the pandemic being recognized.
It was also a time he tried to help how he could.
“Last year my goal was to bring entertainment, joy during a difficult time. The sing-along, dancing in the house, 'DWTS,' trying to bring a little bit of creativity, a little bit of joy into people’s homes,” he said.
As for the competition around awards shows, Hough takes it all in stride.
“My background in what I do, I compete. I was a competitive dancer when I was 12, before 'DWTS.' For me it was always about dancing to compete, to be judged," he said.
The Emmys are the beginning of a busy time for Hough. The 30th season of "Dancing" premieres on Sept. 20 and his Vegas residency opens two days after that. He's on the sidelines as a judge this season, so some of his fans are wondering: Will his career have a full circle moment with him retuning to the dance floor as a pro?
“As the great philosopher Justin Bieber once said, 'never say never,'” he said.