“Shōgun” star Anna Sawai cries over “emotional” Emmy nomination

Shogun Star Anna Sawai enjoys her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

The 32-year-old Japanese actress held back tears as she E! Live from the Red Carpet host Laverne Cox on Sunday, September 15, calling her nods “emotional” as she reflected on how the FX drama changed the trajectory of her career.

“It’s just very emotional,” said Sawai, whose performance as Lady Mariko in Shogun will be honored this year in the category “Best Drama Actress.” “That’s huge. I’m so happy for the whole team.”

The new adaptation of James Clavell’s novel has been renewed for two more seasons and has already won 14 Emmys at the Creative Arts Emmys – the most for a single season of a series. When asked about the success of the historical drama, Sawai said: “Everyone worked so hard because they wanted the best for the show. There were no egos and so I’m just happy that everyone is resonating and everyone is touched by our story.”

Before she appeared as Elle in Fast & Furious film F9 and Naomi in the Apple TV+ adaptation of PachinkoSawai played a prominent role in the Japanese music industry as the leader of Faky, a five-member J-pop girl group known for their single “Better Without You.”

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On the Emmys red carpet, Sawai hinted that she had shifted her focus from music to acting. “I feel like I won’t be doing music,” she said. “But I would like to maybe do a music-themed film. I think there’s a lot to talk about in this industry.”

Faky’s first album, The Onewas released in 2014. Sawai left the group in 2018 to pursue acting, after which new members joined and made more music. The group disbanded after their last performance on January 13, 2024.

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At a performance on PEOPLE in 10 In April, Sawai admitted that it was difficult to leave Lady Mariko behind after filming. Shogun“I couldn’t talk about certain scenes or the character without tears coming,” she said at the time.

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, will air live on ABC on Sunday, September 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Watch PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on ABC.