Pat Sajak wins Emmy for final season as “Wheel of Fortune” host

The longtime "Wheel" host retired from the game show in June.

Pat Sajak is ending his Wheel of Fortune run with one last Emmy.

The longtime host won his fourth Emmy at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony. Sajak beat out Celebrity Family Feud's Steve Harvey, Jeopardy's Ken Jennings, Password's Keke Palmer, and Weakest Link's Jane Lynch to win the award for Outstanding Host for a Game Show. Sajak was not in attendance to accept the award.

Sajak previously won the Daytime Emmy for for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1993, 1997, and 1998, and was nominated for that award 16 other times. The primetime version of the category was created in 2023, with the inaugural award going to Palmer, who beat out Sajak, Harvey, Jennings, and Jeopardy's Mayim Bialik.

Related: Ryan Seacrest reveals what Wheel of Fortune icons Pat Sajak and Vanna White told him on his first day as host

Sajak announced his plans to retire last June. "Well, the time has come," he wrote in a statement shared on social media. "I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"

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Sajak hosted Wheel since its nighttime debut in 1983, after previously hosting its daytime iteration starting in 1981. Ryan Seacrest will take on hosting duties beginning next season. "I can't wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White," Seacrest said after being announced as the new host. White will continue to appear on Wheel for at least two more years, as she extended her contract with the show through the 2025-26 season.

Related: Ryan Seacrest pays tribute to Pat Sajak after his final Wheel of Fortune episode: 'An incredible run'

In his final episode, Sajak paid tribute to White at the end of the show: "Like me, she takes the show very seriously, but not herself. I shudder to think what these 40-plus years might have been like had they brought someone in all full of themselves, playing the prima donna role. Vanna is as sweet and unassuming as she seems. We've seen a lot of changes in each other's lives over the years, but we've always been there for each other."

Related: Watch Pat Sajak thank Wheel of Fortune fans in farewell message: 'It's been an incredible privilege'

Sajak continued, "While I’ll very much miss working with her, I take solace in the fact that we live about five miles apart, so we'll see plenty of each other. But I will miss our nightly closes and her laughter and her good nature. She's a very special woman. And I know you’re all pleased to know that she’ll be back next season."

Sajak isn't completely finished with Wheel, as he's still set to host the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune version of the show next month. That show will air ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET starting Oct. 7.

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