‘Shogun’ already set a record by getting the most wins in one year with 14 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys last week. The winning streak continued at the Primetime Emmys, bringing in four more awards.
The historical drama won for Best Drama Series, Best Actress in a Drama Series for Anna Sawai, Best Actor in a Drama Series for Hiroyuki Sanada, and Best Drama Directing for Frederick E.O. Toye at the ceremony on Sunday. These made it the first non-English show to win the Best Drama category and marked the first time Japanese actors bagged Emmys.
Backstage, Anna Sawai noted crying for the ‘twelfth time’ that night while receiving the award. “I’ve just been a mess,” she added. “I think it’s just mixed emotions and anxiety, wanting everyone to win… I’ll wake up tomorrow and I’ll think this was all a dream.”
Meanwhile, Hiroyuki Sanada touched on ‘the weight of the moment and what it all means historically.’ He explained, “As far as the next generation, I hope they see a lot of meaning in our nominations and wins and just understand that we created a period Japanese series that really connected with the world.”
‘Shogun’ quickly rose to become FX’s most-watched series by its second week, according to global streaming hours. The story focused on an English sailor who built relationships with Lord Toranaga and Lady Mariko after being shipwrecked on Japanese shores. It streams on Hulu now.
