Shōgun, the hit FX samurai series, made history at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday night, becoming the first ever non-English language series to record the most wins for one season of television. The Japan-American-Canadian collab won 18 Emmy Awards for its first season, snatching the achievement from the previous record holder, HBO’s miniseries John Adams, which had 13 wins.
The prime-time Emmys was truly a magnificent night for Shōgun on several fronts. Aside from being the very first majority non-English-language series to win in the Outstanding Drama Series category, the show produced the first Japanese actors to win the Emmy—Best Actress in a Drama Series for Anna Sawai, and Best Actor in a Drama Series for Hiroyuki Sanada. Shōgun’s success also represents a huge win for FX and parent company Disney, both of whom were uncertain about the series that took nearly 10 years to make.
Groundbreaking Achievements
Of the show, Sanada said, “It was an East-meets-West dream project with respect. And Shōgun taught me that when people work together, we can make a miracle. We can create a better future together.” Speaking backstage at the Emmys, Sanada added, “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.”
Anna Sawai, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her emotions as she broke down into tears while accepting her Best Actress in a Drama Series award. She thanked her mother for supporting her with stoicism, which helped her portray Mariko-sama’s character. Speaking backstage at the Emmys, Sawai said it was probably her “twelfth time crying today,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Last weekend, Shōgun made history at the Creative Arts Emmys, winning 14 awards in one night, the most a series has ever won in a single year. Along with Sanada and Sawai’s wins, Shōgun picked up a total of four awards at Sunday night’s Emmys, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Drama Series. This brings Shōgun’s total up to 18 Emmy wins, making history!
Featured image: @shogunfx/Instagram
For the latest in fashion, lifestyle and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_
—Read also
