Anna Sawai, the star of Shogun, becomes the first actor of Asian descent to win an Emmy for Drama Actress
Anna Sawai made history when she won the Emmy for best drama actress for Shogun on Sunday night's 2024 Emmys.
Anna Sawai.
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Sawai became the first Asian actress to win an Emmy in the lead actress category for a drama series.
Sawai received nominations alongside Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Maya Erskine (Mr. and Mrs. Smith), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), and Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show).
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When taking the stage, a very emotional Sawai joked, "I was crying before my name was called. I am a disaster today."
She opened her speech by thanking the Academy for recognizing her with those she "grew up watching and love." She went on to praise the FX crew for "believing in our story" and co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo for providing her "the role of a lifetime" as Lady Mariko.
"Thank you to every member of the staff and the cast, led by Hiro [Sanada]. He has opened and continues to open doors for others like me," he stated. Sanada previously won an Emmy for best drama actor for his work in Shogun, making him the second Asian actor (after Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game) and the first Japanese performer to do so.
"This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example to everyone," she said as she finished speaking.
The actress, who plays Lady Mariko in the FX series, previously won the TCA Award for Best Individual Achievement in a Drama, beating out all other male and female actors.
Before the show, Shogun topped the Emmy nominees with 25 nominations, including best drama series, breaking multiple records. No other show in any category received more nominations.
Aside from Sawai's nomination for best drama series actress, Shogun received supporting dramatic actor nods for Tadanobu Asano, who plays warrior Kashigi Yabushige, and Takehiro Hira for his portrayal as Ishido Kazunari. Néstor Carbonelle was also nominated for best guest actor in a drama series for his performance as Rodrigues.
The series, which took over ten years to produce, was a watershed moment for Asian representation and non-English-language television. Shogun, following Netflix's 2022 Korean smash Squid Game, was only the second majority non-English-language series to be nominated for outstanding drama series; the series won. All of the series' celebrated Japanese castmembers were first-time nominees on an individual level, and the majority were also the first Japanese nominees in their respective categories in Emmy history.
Shogun co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo confirmed in May that two more seasons are in the works.
The 2024 Emmys were broadcast live from L.A.'s Peacock Theater on ABC. Eugene and Dan Levy served as the hosts.
