Tearful Derek Hough Accepts Emmy For Outstanding Choreography, Dedicates It To Wife Hayley
An emotional Derek Hough took home the gold Sunday at the Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Choreography. Through tears, he dedicated his win to wife Hayley Erbert.
“Exactly a month ago I was in the hospital. this is a different moment,” he said, choking up after winning the fourth Emmy of his career for choreographing Michael Buble’s “Higher.” “A life-changing moment reminded me to really savor each every moment.”
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“What a stark contrast this has been,” he continued. “I just flew in from Washington, DC, last night.”
He then went on to dedicate his Emmy to “my beautiful wife. Your strength and your courage this whole month has been unbelievable,” he continued. “You inspire me every day.”
Hough and Erbert, who were married in August, were performing their Symphony of Dance tour in December when she became disoriented and was rushed to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required emergency surgery.
A craniectomy is a type of surgery to remove a portion of the skull to help relieve extra pressure on the brain.
“As you all know, the past week has been a challenging journey for us due to a life-threatening event that suddenly came into our lives,” Hough posted on social media in December. “It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant. But today, we are filled with hope and relief as we share with you an update. Hayley is doing well. Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle. She still has a ways to go with another surgery, hopefully in a few weeks, to insert a skull implant to replace the piece that was removed during the craniectomy. It will restore the skull to its natural shape and protect the brain from injury.”
After earning his nomination for “Higher,” Hough now holds the title for the most Emmy nominations for choreography. “Higher” — which was from the Dancing With the Stars season on Disney+ — was his 13th nomination.
He was previously tied with Debbie Allen, who has 12 noms.
“I’m so grateful for the platform and opportunity that Dancing with the Stars has given me and for the collaboration with so many people over the years to be able to experiment, learn and create choreography for a worldwide audience,” Hough told Deadline last summer when the nominations were revealed. “To be recognized by fellow choreographers that I’ve come to know and love and that have influenced me is an incredible honor that I don’t take for granted.”
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