Anna Sawai Is First Asian Performer to Win Lead Actress, Drama Emmy

Anna Sawai has won the Emmy for best actress in a drama series for the FX show “Shogun,” becoming the first actor of Asian descent to win in the category.

With her win, 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 mom, who served as her inspiration. “Thank you John Landgraf and the whole 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, thank you to my team and thank you to my family. Mom, I love you. You are the reason I’m here. You showed me stoicism and that’s how I was able to portray it. This is to all the women who
expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone,” Sawai concluded.

This is Sawai’s first Emmy nomination and first win. Her other credits include the Apple TV+ shows “Pachinko” and “Monarch” as well as the British crime series “Giri/Haji.” She has also been in films like “F9” and “Ninja Assassin.”

“Shogun” received 25 Emmy nominations this year, making it the most-nominated series of this year’s Emmys. It is based on the novel of the same name by James Clavell, which was itself based in real Japanese history. Sawai starred as Toda Mariko, a highborn woman with an important role to play in a brewing civil war among Japan’s ruling council of regents.

Originally intended as a limited series, it was reported in May that FX was submitting “Shogun” for awards consideration as a drama series instead, meaning they intended to produce more seasons. Not long after, FX announced it was partnering with the Clavell estate and “Shogun” creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo to develop two more seasons of the show.

See all the Emmy winners here.