FX’s drama “Shōgun” first made history at the Creative Arts Emmys with the most wins in a single season. Now, it has set a new record with 18 wins overall, including at the Primetime Emmys.
On stage, the cast and crew came together while Executive Producer Justin Marks thanked Disney Television, Dana Walden, Eric Schrier, Hulu, and FX. He said,
“You all supported a costly Japanese period drama with a big moment centered on a poetry contest. I don’t know why you took that risk, but thank you for believing in this amazing team.”
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With 14 Creative Arts Emmys, “Shōgun” has now set a new record, surpassing the 13 awards won by HBO’s 2008 miniseries “John Adams.”
“Shōgun” dominated the main acting categories, winning best drama, lead actor (Hiroyuki Sanada), and lead actress (Anna Sawai).
“Shōgun” is based on James Clavell’s novel and is a new version of the Emmy-winning 1980s NBC miniseries. The show is set in 1600s Japan and stars Sawai as Lady Mariko, who translates for Lord Toranaga (Sanada). It also follows John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), an English ship captain who joins Japanese society as it gets ready for war.
Sanada won both Lead Actor and Best Drama awards because he also produced the show. He told Variety earlier this year that being a producer lets him do more than just act and help ensure every detail is accurate. He said, “This story is fiction inspired by real history. To make it believable, we had to include authentic details.”
Sawai made history as the first Japanese star to win the Primetime Emmy Award for lead actress.
In an interview with Variety’s Actors on Actors, Sawai talked about how playing Lady Mariko, a woman who finds her strength and voice, impacted her and the audience. She shared that many Japanese women, especially young girls, told her they felt a real connection to her character. They were moved because it showed a Japanese character who was strong and authentic, something they hadn’t seen before in Western media. Sawai said if she had seen characters like Mariko growing up, it would have changed how she felt about herself and the expectations placed on her.
Source: Variety