Ken Jennings gets his 1st Emmy nomination — and he’s in the running with Mayim Bialik

It’s been almost a year since “Jeopardy!” named Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik as the permanent hosts — a decision that followed a lot of unprecedented drama for the quiz show.

Now, Jennings and Bialik are being formally recognized for their work in restoring “Jeopardy!” to stability: Both hosts have snagged an Emmy nomination in the category of outstanding host for a game show.

Other nominees in the category include Steve Harvey from “Family Feud,” Keke Palmer, who hosts “Password,” and longtime “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak, who announced earlier this year that he is stepping down from the show after the upcoming season, the Deseret News reported. This marks the first time the category is part of the primetime awards ceremony, per People.

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Ken Jennings snags first Emmy nomination as ‘Jeopardy!’ host

This is Jennings’ first Emmy nomination, although the “Jeopardy!” Greatest of All Time champion isn’t a stranger to awards shows. In 2021, he was up for a Grammy in the category for best spoken word album. Jennings helped narrate the audiobook for Alex Trebek’s memoir “The Answer is ... Reflections on My Life,” which hit shelves in July 2020 — just a few months before Trebek’s death.

“Congratulations @KenJennings on your first Emmy nomination!!” Bialik shared on Twitter. “I’m so happy for you! I’m thinking we go in matching tuxedos? Let’s discuss.”

The two hosts have developed a camaraderie that extends beyond “Jeopardy!” Jennings appeared in the Season 3 premiere of Bialik’s sitcom “Call Me Kat,” and both hosts recently competed against each other in an episode of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” where they each won a game during the one-hour episode.

Bialik’s Emmy nomination as “Jeopardy!” host marks her fifth. She was previously nominated four times for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler in “The Big Bang Theory,” People reported. But the actress and neuroscientist has yet to win an Emmy.

“Jeopardy!” itself has also been nominated in the category for outstanding game show. According to the “Jeopardy!” website, the quiz show has won 43 Emmys — more than any other game show.

Ken Jennings is hosting the remainder of Season 39

Jennings’ Emmy nomination comes about a month after the release of his new book, “100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife.” The “Jeopardy!” host also returned to hosting the quiz show earlier this month, after Bialik stepped down during the final week of filming to show her support for the writers strike, the Deseret News reported.

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“Our last week of shows was already locked,” Jennings recently told the Deseret News. “We could be above board and just shoot the last week of scripts that had already been written.

“You would not believe the work our amazing writers do, and they’re Emmy Award winning,” the “Jeopardy!” host continued. “We cannot wait for the strike to be resolved so we can get our writers back. We’re just hoping the writers get the fair deal they deserve (and) we can get back in time to the fall.”

Season 39 of “Jeopardy!” concludes in late July.