Dick Van Dyke Busts a Move as His 98th Birthday Special Takes Home Creative Arts Emmy: 'I Can't Believe It'

Though he was initially believed to be the oldest Creative Arts Emmys winner, it was later confirmed that Van Dyke was not listed as a producer on the special and therefore, did not win an Emmy

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated. It was initially believed that Dick Van Dyke was the oldest Creative Arts Emmys winner at 98. This has been corrected in the current text.]

Dick Van Dyke was beyond thrilled at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards!

On Saturday, Sept. 7, the 98-year-old's birthday special, Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic, took home the win for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). The two-hour tribute CBS special, which featured archival footage and live performances of songs from Van Dyke’s storied career, aired in December.

Though it was initially believed that Van Dyke's win meant he was the oldest winner of a Creative Arts Emmy at 98 years, 8 months and 26 days old — beating out the late Norman Lear, who previously held the record for his own special, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and Good Times, which he won at 98 years, 5 months and 26 days old in 2020 — it was later confirmed by Variety that Van Dyke was not listed as a producer on the special, per the project's IMDb Page.

This means Lear maintains the record for oldest Creative Arts Emmys winner, and Van Dyke did not win an Emmy on Sept. 7, despite taking the stage to deliver an acceptance speech.

"Thank you, that reception, I cannot tell you what it means," Van Dyke said after his special was announced as the winner. He then reminded the audience, "I'm 99 next month," before busting into some dance moves to prove he's still spry despite his age.

Continuing, Van Dyke gestured to his wife Arlene Silver, who joined him on stage as executive producer of the special. "The young lady who got this award, you may think of the word nepotism and I would understand it, but this lady got the job all by herself as producer of the Dick Van Dyke special because she knows me inside and out, and knows how I work, and don't take no sass from anybody. Arlene Van Dyke!"

Arlene then thanked the crowd before addressing her husband directly. "Thank you so much," she said. "It is a honor to spend my life with you... We got four nominations that put love, heart and soul into the show. To honor you, you've created endless joy and playfulness for generations to come."

Related: Dick Van Dyke Is 'Working On' a 'One-Man Show' at 98 After Daytime Emmys Win: 'A Lot of Funny Stories' (Exclusive)

Later in the press room, Van Dyke was overcome with excitement as he continuously told reporters he "couldn't believe it." He then proudly declared, "I'm probably the oldest Emmy winner," to which Arlene noted Lear earned the title first.

When asked what advice he'd like to impart on the next generation of talent, Van Dyke told reporters, "You have to stick with it. You're gonna go through hard times and a lot of auditions... but you have to stay with it. Be patient if you've got the confidence in yourself and it's very important to believe that you can do it."

"I don't know how I did it!" he jokingly added.

As for what legacy he'd like to leave behind, Van Dyke said he hopes he's remembered for "laughter" and "making people laugh for 75 years."

"I've been in the business 75 years. I can't believe it, that I'm still here and performing," he said, before quipping, "I'm looking for work if anybody has!"

Van Dyke previously spoke to PEOPLE previously about his two-hour tribute special as he recalled thinking, "'I don't deserve this.'"

"It's difficult to say how I felt," he said. "I came home, and I said, 'You know something? It's going to be a couple of days before this actually sinks in that it happened.' I never expected that kind of recognition. My whole life went before me. I didn't realize I had done so many things while I was 75 years in show business.”

Related: Carol Burnett Reunites with Dick Van Dyke While Being Honored at Her Handprint Ceremony

The legendary actor's win at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards comes just three months after he secured another history-making win at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

In June, Van Dyke became the oldest Daytime Emmy winner ever as he took home the prize for best guest performer in a daytime drama series for his role as Timothy Robicheaux on Days of Our Lives.

"I don't believe this," he said as he accepted the award alongside his wife. "I'm 98 years old, can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business."

Prior to his win, he told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that the nomination was "very exciting."

"After all, it took me 75 years and my pal Drake Hogestyn to get on a soap opera! He is really the reason this happened and deserves the credit and thanks," he said at the time. "This is a very different honor for me; I seldom get recognized for dramatic or straight acting — comedy and musicals are my specialty after all. I'm so honored and it will be a fun night celebrating the entire daytime television community."

On the soap, Van Dyke played Timothy Robicheaux in a four-part story arc. His character bridges the gap in his memory via musical numbers and exercises with support from Marlena Evans (Diedre Hall), John Black (Hogestyn) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols).

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The 2024 Creative Arts Emmys will air Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on FXX, and can also be streamed on Hulu from Sept. 15 through Oct. 9.

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