SYTYCD's Cat Deeley: First-Ever Emmy Nod Is "Completely Overwhelming" - Us Weekly

Emmy voters have finally hopped on the Hot Tamale Train!

Now in its eighth season, FOX's So You Think You Can Dance earned its inaugural Emmy nominations Thursday for Outstanding Reality Competition Series and Outstanding Host for Cat Deeley.

"To be acknowledged by those who make some of the best television in the world is something I never would have dreamed was possible coming to America six years ago," British-born Deeley, 34, told Us Weekly shortly after Thursday's nominations were announced in Los Angeles.

Having hosted the dance competition series since season 2 in 2005, Deeley calls the honor of being included with longtime host nominees Jeff Probst (Survivor), Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race) and Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) "completely overwhelming." "It's a very exciting day!" enthuses Deeley.

Deeley isn't the only SYTYCD staffer rejoicing over Thursday's announcement. Fan favorite choreographers Travis Wall, Mia Michaels, Stacey Tookey, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo ("NappyTabs") and Mandy Moore each earned nominations for their routines from the show's seventh season. (Dancing With the Stars' Mark Ballas finished out the Choreography category for his Jive routine seen on the show.)

"Season 7 was absolutely the best season yet," says SYTYCD's Moore, who was also nominated for her work on the series in 2008. "So You Think You Can Dance has done so much to raise the profile of dancers and choreographers and it feels great to have the Academy recognize our 'family's' hard work."

The 2011 Emmy awards will be handed out September 18 on FOX.

By Allison Corneau for Us Weekly. For more Channel Surfing, click here.

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