Actress Anna Sawai made history by becoming the first Asian artist to win the Best Drama Actress Emmy Award. She won the coveted trophy for her strong appearance in the show ‘Shogun’. (Also read: The Bear lost the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series to Hacks. Should it move to the Drama 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. & Mrs. Smith’), Imelda Staunton (Netflix’s ‘The Crown’) and Reese Witherspoon (Apple TV’s ‘The Morning Show’).
Anna gave an emotional speech
In his speech while receiving the award, Sawai not only thanked his team but also expressed gratitude towards his mother.
“Thank you to John Landgraf and the entire FX team for believing in our story. Thank you to Justin and Rachel for believing in me and giving me this role of a lifetime,” he added.
“Lastly, thank you to my team and my family. Mom, I love you. You are the reason I am here. You showed me patience and that’s how I was able to show it. This is for all the women who don’t expect anything and remain an example for everyone,” Sawai concluded.
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This was Sawai’s first Emmy nomination and first win. Her other work includes the Apple TV shows ‘Pachinko’ and ‘Monarch’ as well as the British crime series ‘Giri/Haji.’ She has also appeared in films such as ‘F9’ and ‘Ninja Assassin.’
“Shogun” received 25 Emmy nominations this year, making it this year’s Emmy’s most nominated series, reports Variety.
It is based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name, which itself is inspired by real Japanese history. Sawai plays Toda Mariko, a high-class woman who plays a key role in the civil war between Japan’s ruling council.
Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Lord Yoshi Toranaga in the FX historical epic, also won an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. This is Sanada’s first win and first nomination.
It was undoubtedly a special night for the ‘Shogun’ team. The Emmys 2024 proved that FX’s Shogun was the undisputed frontrunner. Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the historical drama was voted Outstanding Drama Series.
,With inputs from ANI,
