Anna Sawai wins Emmy for best actress for “Shogun”

Anna Sawai won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the FX series “Shogun,” making her the first actress of Asian descent to ever win in this category.

With her victory, Sawai beat out fellow nominees Jennifer Aniston (“Apple TV+’s The Morning Show”), Carrie Coon (“HBO’s The Gilded Age”), Maya Erskine (“Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith”), Imelda Staunton (“Netflix’s The Crown”) and Reese Witherspoon (“Apple TV+’s The Morning Show”).

Sawai thanked the “Shogun” team, but also paid tribute to her mother, who served as her inspiration. “Thank you John Landgraf and the entire FX team for believing in our story. Thank you Justin and Rachel for believing in me and giving me this role of a lifetime,” she said.

“Lastly, I thank my team and my family. Mom, I love you. You are the reason I am here. You showed me stoicism and so I could portray it. This is for all the women who
Expect nothing and continue to be a role model for everyone,” concluded Sawai.

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This was Sawai’s first Emmy nomination and win. Her other credits include the Apple TV+ shows “Pachinko” and “Monarch,” and the British crime drama “Giri/Haji.” She has also appeared in films such as “F9” and “Ninja Assassin.”

Shogun received 25 Emmy nominations this year, making it the most nominated series at this year’s Emmys. It is based on the novel of the same name by James Clavell, which in turn was inspired by true Japanese history. Sawai played Toda Mariko, a high-born woman who plays a key role in a burgeoning civil war in Japan’s Council of Regents.

Shogun was originally planned as a miniseries, but in May it was reported that FX was submitting Shogun for awards consideration as a drama series instead, meaning they intended to produce additional seasons. Not long after, FX announced that it was working with Clavell’s estate and Shogun creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo to develop two more seasons of the series.

You can find all Emmy winners here.