Derek Hough dedicates Emmy win to wife Hayley Erbert following her health scare

By Carson Blackwelder

Derek Hough dedicated his most recent Emmy win to his wife Hayley Erbert, who continues to recover after undergoing a cranioplasty in December.

The "Dancing with the Stars" judge won for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming Sunday night at the 75th Creative Arts Emmys for his work on the "Higher" routine from season 31 of the reality competition show.

Reflecting on his win in an Instagram post Monday, Hough thanked everyone from the "DWTS" pros who performed in the piece to Michael Bublé for the track featured in the routine, and explained how Erbert was the inspiration for the piece.

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Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert attends the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny U.S. Premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on June 14, 2023.

"Exactly one month ago, to the day, my world was shaken. The contrast of that moment with this one couldn't be starker. It's a powerful reminder of how quickly life can change," he wrote. "I'm reminded to savor every moment, to cherish every day with the people we love. Being alive is the greatest prize we could ever win."

He continued, "To my wife, @hayley.erbert this one's for you. The center piece and muse of this dance. This journey, these moments, they are all the more precious because of what we've endured together."

During his acceptance speech Sunday night, Hough got emotional while talking about Erbert's health journey.

"Exactly a month ago I was in the hospital ... this is a different moment," he said, choking up. "A month ago, a life-changing moment just reminded me to really cherish and to really savor each and every moment. What a stark contrast this has been."

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Derek Hough poses with the Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming award during the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys at Peacock Theater on Jan. 7, 2024 in Los Angeles.

Hough dedicated the award to "my beautiful wife," adding, "Your strength and your courage this whole month has been unbelievable, and you inspire me every single day."

Hough first announced his wife's health scare on Dec. 7, telling fans she had been taken to the hospital after she "became disoriented" during one of their shows and "was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy." A day later, he said she was "now on the long road of recovery."

In a Dec. 15 post, he updated fans on Erbert's healing process and shared that she needed a surgery to "insert a skull implant to replace the piece that was removed during the craniectomy."

Hough shared a post on Dec. 21 saying his wife's cranioplasty "has been successfully completed as planned."