Derek Hough wins his 4th Emmy — and gives an emotional tribute to his wife, Hayley Erbert

Derek Hough with the Emmy for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming for “Dancing With The Stars” in the press room during night two of the Television Academy’s 75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Derek Hough with the Emmy for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming for “Dancing With The Stars” in the press room during night two of the Television Academy’s 75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024 in Los Angeles. | Dan Steinberg/Invision/Associated Press
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“Dancing With the Stars” judge and Utah native Derek Hough earned his fourth Emmy Sunday night — but he chose to dedicate it to his wife and fellow dancer Hayley Erbert, who is recovering after undergoing emergency surgeries following a cranial hematoma diagnosis.

“Exactly a month ago, I was in the hospital. This was a different moment,” he said with emotion, People reported. “A month ago was a life-changing moment that reminded me to really cherish and savor every moment.”

“What a stark contrast this has been,” he continued, noting that he had just flown in from Washington, D.C., where Erbert is recovering, before going on to dedicate his award to her, per Deadline. “Your strength and your courage this whole month has been unbelievable. You inspire me every day.”

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What dance did Derek Hough earn an Emmy for?

Hough earned a Creative Arts Emmy Award for outstanding choreography for his work on Michael Buble’s “Higher” on “Dancing With the Stars.” The dance routine featured Hough and Erbert, who was then his fiance, and the nomination gave Hough the distinction of having the most nominations for choreography — 13, Deadline reported.

The award-winning dance has 1.5 million views on YouTube.

“To my wife, @hayley.erbert this one’s for you, the center piece and muse of this dance,” Hough shared in an Instagram post on Monday, which featured a picture of him holding the Emmy. “This journey, these moments, they are all the more precious because of what we’ve endured together.”

How is Hayley Erbert doing?

Erbert was rushed to the hospital and underwent an emergency surgery following a performance on the couple’s Symphony of Dance tour in early December. In a post the following day, Hough shared that Erbert, who had become “disoriented,” “was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy,” the Deseret News reported.

Hough has regularly updated fans on his wife’s recovery. In one Instagram post, he said the “recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle.”

“While this isn’t the holiday season either of us envisioned, it’s one that we’re incredibly grateful to have,” he wrote, as the Deseret News reported. “We look forward to cherishing these moments with a deeper appreciation for life and the people in it.

“It’s been a profound reminder of how fragile life can be and how quickly things can change,” he continued. “But, it has also shown us the incredible strength and resilience that lies within us and the power of having a supportive community around us.”

How did Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet?

Erbert’s diagnosis came just a few months into the dancers’ marriage. The 29-year-old professional dancer married Hough, 38, last year after several years of dating, per People.

Hough and his sister, “Dancing With the Stars” host Julianne Hough, hired Erbert to go on tour with them in 2014. Hough and Erbert began dating in 2015, when they both appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” People reported.

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The pair married last August, and a month later embarked on their Symphony of Dance tour. The show included a choreographed version of the couple’s wedding dance to “Fall into Me,” by Forest Blakk.

“Every time we rehearse it, I cry,” Hough previously told USA Today ahead of the tour. “If we get over-frazzled, we take a moment where we just look into each other’s eyes and say, ‘I love you.’ When I hear those words, it’s like juice; I feel unstoppable.”