Dick Van Dyke didn’t win an Emmy this weekend – or break any records

Dick Van Dyke is a living legend, and there aren’t enough awards in the world to properly honor the icon of screens big and small. But unfortunately, despite reports to the contrary last weekend, a Primetime Emmy in 2024 won’t be one of them.

Van Dyke personally didn’t win an Emmy at the Creative Arts Awards this weekend, meaning he hasn’t broken any record as the oldest Primetime Emmy winner ever. The confusion stems from the fact that a special about Van Dyke – CBS’ “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic,” did win an Emmy. And photos from the ceremony showed Van Dyke holding a statue. But it wasn’t his.

“Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic” won the Emmy for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) at the Creative Arts Emmys this weekend. But here’s the technical side of it: Van Dyke wasn’t listed as a producer on the special, so he wasn’t eligible to be listed as a nominee or winner.

That means reports that Van Dyke broke Norman Lear’s record and became the oldest Emmy Award winner ever at age 98 are incorrect. The record still holds for Lear, who was 98 (just a few months younger than Van Dyke is now) in 2020 when he won the Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) for “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.”

Here are the producers who did win for “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic”: executive producers Craig Plestis, Chris Wagner, Clara Plestis, Ashley Edens, Deena Katz and Arlene Van Dyke; as well as mentoring producer Stephanie Wagner; producers Brittany Cherry and Ariel Kubit; and line producer Chelsea Gonnering.

And yes, that means Van Dyke’s wife Arlene did win an Emmy as executive producer. So even if the superstar didn’t, there’s a statue going home to their house.

Van Dyke has won four Primetime Emmys over the years, most recently in 1977 in the category of outstanding comedy-variety or music series, for NBC’s “Van Dyke and Company.” He also won Emmys for his acting on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in 1964, 1965 and 1966. And in 1995, he was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame.

However, the star did break a record earlier this year at the 2024 Daytime Emmys, winning the Outstanding Guest Artist in the Drama Series category (for “Days of Our Lives”), making him the oldest winner ever for that competition.