‘Shōgun’ makes history at the 76th Emmy Awards with 18 wins
Shogun stars Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada became legends at the 76th Emmy Awards with their historic wins
Anna Sawai & Hiroyuki Sanada at the 76th Emmy Awards
Television Academy
Words by Daniel Anderson
Shōgun slayed the 76th Emmy Awards Sunday evening with a historic milestone, earning a record-breaking 18 trophies in a single season.
The FX and Hulu series took home top honors, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing. Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai also earned wins, with Sawai’s trailblazing performance as Toda Mariko making her the first woman of Asian descent to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Sawai, who brought her mother to the event, delivered a tearful speech, crediting her mom’s stoicism as inspiration for her role. “You are the reason I’m here,” she said. “You showed me stoicism, and that’s how I was able to portray Mariko. This is for all the women who expect nothing, but continue to set an example for everyone.”
Sanada, a cinematic legend, also served as a producer on the series. He became only the second actor of Asian descent to win the Lead Actor award, following Lee Jung Jae’s win for Squid Game in 2022. Steven Yeun, last year’s winner for Beef in the Limited or Anthology Series category, had the distinction of presenting the award to Sanada.
In his speech, Sanada reflected on the significance of Shōgun, calling it “an East-meets-West dream project, built on mutual respect.” He continued, “Shōgun taught me that when people work together, we can create miracles and build a better future.” With a second season already in development, the future indeed looks bright for the series.
Co-creator Justin Marks, in his own acceptance speech, highlighted Shōgun as a show about translation—not what’s lost, but what’s found when you bridge languages and cultures. Sanada followed with a message in Japanese, translating to, “The passion and dreams we’ve inherited have crossed oceans and borders.”
Shōgun had already claimed 14 trophies at the Creative Arts Emmys, winning in categories such as Outstanding Production Design, Casting, Costume Design, and Cinematography. In total, the series won 18 Emmys out of 25 nominations.
Other notable winners and nominees from the API diaspora included comedians Ronny Chieng and Troy Iwata as part of The Daily Show, which secured Outstanding Talk Series. Maya Erskine received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Bowen Yang was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live. Netflix’s 3 Body Problem had also earned a nod for Outstanding Drama Series.
The 76th Emmy Awards, delayed due to industry strikes, were co-hosted by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy at the Peacock Theater.
Last week’s Creative Arts Emmys also saw Quiz Lady, starring Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, win Outstanding Television Movie. This marked Oh’s first-ever (but long-deserved) Emmy win—she’d been previously nominated for her roles in Killing Eve and Grey’s Anatomy, and as a host on Saturday Night Live and for the Golden Globes. Blue Eye Samurai took home the award for Outstanding Animated Program, and HBO’s The Idol, featuring BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim, won for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming.
Stunt coordinators were recognized as well, with Hiroo Minami, Nobuyuki Obikane, Martin Cochingco, and Johnson Phan winning Outstanding Stunt Performance for Shōgun. Brett Chan and Johnny Yang earned nominations for Warrior, while Justin Yu and Tig Fong were nominated for The Brother’s Sun and What We Do in the Shadows.
Lastly, Kristen Kish was nominated for Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Program for Bravo’s Top Chef.
See the full list of Emmy winners here.
Published on September 16, 2024
Words by Daniel Anderson
Daniel Anderson is a disabled Chinese American adoptee based in Seattle. His freelance writing specialties include K-pop, entertainment, and food. He believes that any restaurant can be a buffet, and the key to success is to take a nap each day. Follow his adventures on Instagram @danzstan.