Ladies and gentlemen, Katherine Heigl has just declared, “Game on!”

After a firestorm of controversy erupted around her decision to remove herself from Emmy consideration last go-’round, the Grey’s Anatomy heroine has reentered the gold derby this year, sources confirm to me exclusively.

Natch, cynics will snark that the 2007 Best Supporting Actress winner is back in the race because of the tensions that allegedly sprung up between her and series creator Shonda Rhimes after she took herself out of the running. (The movie starlet, you’ll recall, said at the time that she didn’t have material with which she could compete.) But I think — and I think you’ll agree — it’s likelier that even she knows that, whether viewers loved or loathed the Izzie’s-got-a-brain-tumor story, she played the frak out of it. She’s already earned one high profile endorsement. “I think she did beautiful work,” Rhimes raved Thursday immediately following the season finale. “I think she always does beautiful work.” [SOURCE]