Over the years, the American Wheel of Fortune franchise and its staff have been nominated for, and received, a variety of local and national awards.
(Note that this list is very likely incomplete, and any help to fill the gaps would be appreciated.)
Daytime Emmy Awards[]
Each year's ceremony honors the previous year (e.g., 1978 in 1979), although the eligibility period was originally from early March of the previous year to early March of the year the ceremonies were held (e.g., March 5 in 1979). Sometime after 1984, the eligibility period was changed to January 1-December 31 of the honored year.
Shows considered are those which air in national daytime between 2:00 AM and 6:00 PM to at least 50% of the country, while syndicated game shows that reach the airing threshold are eligible if they typically air before 8:00 PM. Most categories require entries to be submitted by late December (originally late March) and include tape masters or DVDs of the show from the eligibility period, usually one or two; a submitted episode originally aired outside the eligibility period disqualifies that show/emcee from what the episode(s) were submitted for.
While not certain, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences may retain whatever episodes are submitted.
1978 (5th)
- Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford, possibly separately): Lost to Richard Dawson of Family Feud.
1982 (9th)
- Outstanding Individual Direction for a Game or Audience Participation Show (Dick Carson, submitted episode of March 3, 1982): Lost to Family Feud (submitted episode of May 29, 1981).
- Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show (Nancy Jones): Lost to Password Plus.
1984 (11th)
The original eligibility period is still used, as Betty White is nominated for Just Men! despite it being off the air for over a year (the last few weeks of its 65-episode run fell within the eligibility period).
- Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show (Nancy): Lost to The New $25,000 Pyramid.
1985 (12th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to The Price Is Right.
- Outstanding Host in a Game Show (Pat Sajak): Lost to Dick Clark of The New $25,000 Pyramid.
- Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show (Nancy): Lost to The New $25,000 Pyramid.
1986 (13th)
- Outstanding Individual Direction in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Won.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Clark.
- Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show (Merv Griffin and Nancy): Lost to The (New) $25,000 Pyramid.
1987 (14th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to The Price Is Right.
- Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction (Kirk Witherspoon): Lost to The Damnation of Faust.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Bob Barker of The Price Is Right.
- Outstanding Game or Audience Participation Show (Nancy): Lost to The $25,000 Pyramid.
1988 (15th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to The $25,000 Pyramid.
- Outstanding Achievement in Makeup (Bruce Grayson): Lost to Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Nancy): Lost to The Price Is Right.
1989 (16th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game/Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to Jeopardy!
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Alex Trebek of Jeopardy!
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Nancy): Lost to The $25,000 Pyramid.
1990 (17th)
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Merv and Nancy): Lost to Jeopardy!
- Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control (Les Nourse {Electronic Camera}, Wayne Getchell {Electronic Camera}, Stan Zitnick {Electronic Camera}, Michael Doyle {Senior Video}, Sandra Harris {Electronic Camera}, Jim Reilly {Electronic Camera}, and Annette Mitchell {Technical Director}): Lost to The Price Is Right.
- Outstanding Achievement in Videotape Editing (Larry Chun): Lost to Sesame Street.
1991 (18th)
The ceremonies began airing in primetime this year.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Merv and Nancy): Lost to Jeopardy!
1993 (20th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game/Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to Jeopardy!
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design (Dick Stiles {Production Designer}, Renee Hoss-Johnson {Art Director}, and Richard Eisbrouch {Set Decorator}): Lost to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Sesame Street.
- Outstanding Game Show Host/Hostess (Pat): Won.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Merv and Nancy): Lost to Jeopardy!
1994 (21st)
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Merv and Nancy): Lost to Jeopardy!
1995 (22nd)
- Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design (Stiles, Eisbrouch, and Hoss-Johnson): Lost to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
- Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing (Diana Felix): Lost to Sesame Street.
- Outstanding Achievement in Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects (David Vaughn {Production/Post-Production Mixer} and Maryann Jorgenson {Sound Effects}): Lost to Beakman's World.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Merv and Nancy): Lost to Jeopardy!
1997 (24th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Won.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Won.
- Outstanding Audience Participation Show/Game Show (Merv and Harry Friedman): Lost to The Price Is Right.
1998 (25th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game or Audience Participation Show (Carson): Lost to Win Ben Stein's Money.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Won.
- Outstanding Audience Participation Show/Game Show (Merv, Harry, Karen Griffith, and Steve Schwartz): Lost to Jeopardy!.
1999 (26th)
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Ben Stein and Jimmy Kimmel of Win Ben Stein's Money.
- Outstanding Audience Participation Show/Game Show (Merv, Harry, Karen, and Steve): Lost to Win Ben Stein's Money.
2000 (27th)
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Tom Bergeron of Hollywood Squares and Barker.
2002 (29th)
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Barker.
2003 (30th)
- Outstanding Directing in a Game/Audience Participation Show (Mark Corwin): Lost to The Price Is Right.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Trebek.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Harry, Karen, and Steve): Lost to Jeopardy!
2004 (31st)
- Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction (Jeff Engel): Lost to Sesame Street and The View.
2005 (32nd)
- While no facet of the show was nominated, Merv received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
2006 (33rd)
- Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction (Engel): Lost to The Oprah Winfrey Show.
2007 (34th)
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Barker.
2008 (35th)
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Trebek.
2010 (37th)
- Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction (Engel): Lost to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design (Hoss-Johnson {Production Designer}, Heather DeCristo {Set Decorator}, and Heather-Lynne Rasnick {Set Decorator}): Lost to The Oprah Winfrey Show.
- Outstanding Game Show Host (Pat): Lost to Ben Bailey of Cash Cab.
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Harry, Karen, Steve, Corwin, Randy Berke {Line Producer}, Amanda Stern {Producer}, and Bob Sofia {Coordinating Producer}): Lost to Cash Cab.
2011 (38th)
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Harry, Karen, Steve, Corwin, Berke, Stern, and Bob, submitted episode of November 5, 2010): Tied with Jeopardy!, resulting in Friedman receiving two Emmys for the same category.
- In addition, Pat and Alex each received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
2012 (39th)
- Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show (Harry, Karen, Steve, Corwin, Berke, Stern, Bob, Rob Roman {Producer}, Brooke Eaton {Senior Segment Producer}, and Patrick O'Brien {Segment Producer}, submitted episode of November 15, 2011): Lost to Jeopardy!
ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards[]
2001
- Television Variety or Awards Show, Music Special, or Documentary (Stiles, Hoss-Johnson, Rasnick, and Barry Williams {Assistant Art Director}): Lost to The 72nd Annual Academy Awards.
2006
- Television – Awards Show, Variety or Music Special, or Documentary (Hoss-Johnson {Production Designer} and Jody Vaclav {Art Director}): Lost to The 77th Annual Academy Awards.
2010
- Awards, Music, or Game Shows (Hoss-Johnson, Vaclav, Bruce Meisner {Scenic Artist}, DeCristo, and Rasnick): Lost to The 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
People's Choice Awards[]
Held since 1975 on CBS, votes were originally cast through Gallup polls until switching to online voting in 2005. Like the Daytime Emmys, each year's ceremony honors the prior year (e.g., 1977 in 1978). Lists of each year's categories and winners can be seen here.
Game shows do not seem to be a particular favorite, as they have only appeared three times: 1987, 2008, and 2009.
1987 (13th)
- Favorite Game Show Host (Pat): Won.
TV Guide Awards[]
2000 (2nd)
- Favorite Game Show: Lost to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Misc.[]
Other awards and accolades that don't fit in the above, essentially an odds-and-ends catch-all.
1991
- On March 11, Merv received the landmark 10,000,000th published copy of Pressman's line of Wheel board games at a special ceremony in his Resorts International Casino in Atlantic City.
2007
- In January, Friedman was given the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award by the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE).
- In October, Friedman was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.