Derek Hough is one of the most celebrated choreographers in Emmy history, and this year he picked up not one but two more nominations. Can he win again? He has two trophies on his mantel already, and to date no one has ever taken home more than three. Scroll down to watch his nominated routines at the bottom of this post.
One of Hough’s nominations is for a pair of exhibition routines he choreographed for “Dancing with the Stars” last fall: a paso doble to “Uccen” and a tap dance to “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.” He didn’t compete for the Mirror Ball Trophy this past season, but joined as a full-time judge after British panelist Len Goodman was unable to travel back to the US due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hough won both of his past Emmys for “DWTS,” on his own in 2013 and with co-choreographers Julianne Hough and Tessandra Chavez in 2015.
But Hough is also nominated for his “Jingle Bells” routine from last winter’s “Disney Holiday Singalong.” And just getting these two nominations was a historic feat. It’s not the first time he’s received double noms — he had a second bid when he won in 2013 — but these two citations bring him to a total of 11 nominations, more than any other male choreographer in history and placing him second only to Debbie Allen, who picked up her 12th nom this year in a separate choreography category (Hough contends in the variety/reality race, while Allen is up for the scripted prize for “Christmas on the Square”).
Allen is one of seven choreographers who have won three Emmys, along with Tony Charmoli, Marguerite Derricks, Alan Johnson, Mia Michaels, Mandy Moore, and Walter Painter. So Hough has a chance to join that exclusive club (though Allen or Moore could break that tie by winning their fourth this year). And Hough may be helped by the absence of the show that has dominated this category 12 times over the last 14 years: “So You Think You Can Dance.” The pandemic forced FOX to cancel last summer’s season of that dance competition, and sadly now it may not return at all. But that may open the door for Hough to win his first trophy in six years.
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