'Shogun's Anna Sawai becomes first Asian actress to win Emmy!
What's the story
Anna Sawai, the lead actor in the FX series Shogun, has made history by becoming the first actor of Asian descent to win an Emmy for Best Drama Actress. The announcement was made during Sunday night's 2024 Emmy Awards ceremony. Sawai triumphed over fellow nominees 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).
Speech details
Sawai's emotional acceptance speech at the Emmys
During her acceptance speech, an emotional Sawai expressed gratitude toward the Academy and paid tribute to her mother. She said, "I was crying before my name was announced. I'm a mess today." "Thank you John Landgraf and the whole FX team for believing in our story. Thank you, Justin [Marks] and Rachel [Kondo], for believing in me and giving me this role of a lifetime."
Series success
'Shogun' sets new records at the 2024 Emmys
The FX series Shogun, in which Sawai portrays Lady Mariko, led the Emmy nominees with a record-breaking 25 nominations. This is the highest number of nominations for any show in any category. The epic series clinched an astounding 18 Emmys, including the prestigious title of Best Drama Series. Last weekend, the show won 14 Creative Arts Emmys, setting a record for the highest number of Emmy wins by a single show in one year.
Cultural impact
'Shogun' marks a milestone for Asian representation
Shogun, which took nearly a decade to develop, has been a significant milestone for Asian representation and non-English-language television. It is only the second majority non-English-language series to be nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category after Netflix's Korean hit Squid Game. Set in 17th-century Japan, the series chronicles the journey of a British sailor who, after being shipwrecked, navigates a complex web of political and cultural challenges.